Podcasts about Zillow

LOOK OUT ODYSEUSS... HERE COMES THE SPIDERMAN! Plus the Zillow listing that comes already occupied and Twins fans clench as time ticks down to the trade deadline. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. housing market is splitting in two. New Zillow data shows starter homes are sitting on the market longer, seeing more price cuts, and selling less often, while luxury homes continue to attract buyers. Kathy Fettke breaks down what's driving the divide, why affordability is keeping many first-time buyers on the sidelines, and what these trends could mean for real estate investors looking for opportunities in today's market.   Want to learn how RealWealth is getting great deals on investment properties? Visit www.NewsforInvestors.com   Source: Source: https://www.zillow.com/research/starter-homes-price-tiers-36571/

This is how to analyze a rental property step-by-step in 2026. You don't need to do any complicated math, you don't need to sign up for a course, and you don't need to have previous rental property experience. I've tweaked this process over the past fifteen years of investing to ensure it gets me the best returns possible while being so conservative that it's hard to get it wrong. Today, I'm showing you exactly how to do rental property analysis like a pro, even if this is your first investment property. I took a real property from Zillow to analyze in this episode, using real rent and expense estimates, not made-up numbers to make the cash flow look good. I'll walk through which numbers are crucial to get right, which you can adjust to see if the deal would work in different scenarios, and how to get the seller (instead of you) to pay for some of your costs or lower the price. Every tool I use in this episode is listed below, so use them! In This Episode We Cover How to analyze a rental property, step-by-step in 2026 (with an actual property example) Why you must read the full listing description to find what most investors miss  Calculating after-repair value (ARV) to see how much your property could be worth  The three different ways to estimate rent price (and which is most accurate?) The returns I need to see to move forward on a real estate deal (which metrics matter most) And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠h⁠⁠t⁠t⁠ps://www⁠.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1311. Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Struggling to find your first (or next) real estate deal? What if we told you there are simple, rookie-friendly strategies that even seasoned investors overlook? Today, we'll share some of them with you so you can take down a great deal in 2026! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Today's questions come straight from the BiggerPockets Forums, and they're all about getting out of the research phase without rushing into a bad first deal. Is it worth paying for a course, or is self-study enough? Where do you find rental properties for sale when Zillow feels picked over? And how do you choose one investing strategy when there are SO many options? We're sharing how we learn best, Ashley's exact Zillow strategy for finding motivated sellers, and how to identify the best starting point for your rental portfolio. If you're stuck at square one or trying to make the numbers work in 2026, we've got answers! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover Four ways to find great real estate deals in 2026 (even as a complete beginner) What most rookies miss when looking for on-market real estate deals Whether it's worth paying for real estate coaching, courses, or masterminds Ashley's favorite Zillow strategy for finding motivated sellers How to choose the right investing strategy for your lifestyle and long-term goals And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠h⁠t⁠⁠tps://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-751. Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 311 of the FNO: InsureTech Podcast, hosts Lee Boyd and David Prejeant sit down with Wayne Slavin, CEO and Co-founder of Sure, for a conversation that spans embedded insurance, AI, digital distribution, and the future of insurance innovation. What begins with a story about turbulence on a flight quickly evolves into a fascinating discussion about how insurance can become a seamless part of everyday consumer experiences.  Founded in 2015, Sure has built an AI-enabled platform that helps some of the world's largest carriers and consumer brands launch and operate fully digital insurance programs. Today, companies like Toyota, Zillow, and Mastercard leverage the platform to integrate insurance directly into their customer experiences.  Wayne shares his journey from Silicon Valley product development and e-commerce innovation into insurance, explaining how his early experience building consumer technology shaped his belief that insurance should be as easy to access as any other digital transaction.  The conversation also explores Wayne's long-standing interest in AI, dating back more than 16 years, his perspective on where AI creates the most value in insurance, and why the industry's biggest challenge may not be technology at all, but change management.  Whether you're interested in embedded insurance, digital transformation, AI, or simply hearing the founder story behind one of InsureTech's most recognized platforms, this episode delivers valuable insights and bold predictions about where the industry is headed next.  Key Highlights [06:00] Meet Wayne Slavin and Sure Wayne introduces Sure and explains how the company helps carriers and consumer brands launch fully digital insurance programs through a single end-to-end platform.  [08:00] The Visa of Insurance Wayne explains Sure's role as a technology platform, connecting carriers, brands, and consumers without acting as the insurer itself.  [10:00] Why Insurance Needs an End-to-End Ecosystem A discussion on the fragmented nature of insurance technology and why Sure chose to build a unified platform rather than another point solution.  [12:00] The Turbulent Flight That Started It All Wayne shares the origin story behind Sure and how a turbulent flight sparked the idea of making insurance available at the exact moment consumers need it.  [17:00] Making Insurance Invisible Why Wayne believes insurance should become a natural part of other consumer transactions rather than a separate buying experience. [18:00] Embedded Insurance and the Next Distribution Frontier How brands can integrate insurance directly into customer journeys and why Sure focuses on meeting consumers where they already are. [20:00] AI Before It Was Cool Wayne reflects on researching human-in-the-loop AI at Columbia more than 16 years ago and why today's AI revolution is a moment he has anticipated for years.  [22:00] Where AI Delivers Real Value A practical discussion on why AI is creating the biggest gains in speed to market, customer service, claims support, and operational efficiency.  [24:00] Going Live in Days, Not Months How Sure is leveraging AI and automation to dramatically reduce implementation timelines and operational complexity.  [26:00] Learning the Insurance Business Wayne shares how curiosity, study, and starting with simple insurance products helped him navigate an industry he originally knew nothing about. [30:00] AI Adoption Is a Leadership Challenge Why some insurers are embracing AI while others remain hesitant, and how leadership mindset often determines success.  [32:00] The Real Bottleneck: Change Management Wayne argues that technology is no longer the limiting factor. The bigger challenge is changing inherited processes and organizational behavior.  [34:00] The Future of Direct-to-Consumer Insurance A discussion on changing consumer expectations, digital buying experiences, and why convenience matters more than ever.  [39:00] From South Africa to Silicon Valley Wayne reflects on his personal journey, his family's move to the United States, and how those experiences helped shape his entrepreneurial path. [40:00] What's Next for Sure Wayne shares his vision for the future, including making it even easier for large brands to launch insurance businesses with minimal friction. [42:00] Final Thoughts Lee and David reflect on Wayne's unique founder story, deep technology background, and the future opportunities ahead for Sure and embedded insurance.

The market changed. Has your listing presentation changed with it? Your clients are checking your pricing recommendations through Zillow, relatives, online headlines, and AI. Agents who cannot confidently interpret that information risk losing the client before they ever secure the listing. In this episode, Tim and Julie Harris explain how real estate agents should update their pricing conversations for today's market. They discuss why yesterday's comparable sales can create unrealistic seller expectations, which current-market indicators matter more, and how agents can pre-educate sellers before the listing appointment. You will learn how emotionally loaded AI prompts can reinforce a buyer's or seller's existing fears, how to provide clients with more neutral prompts, and why agents should use AI as an advocate instead of fighting it. Tim and Julie also share the questions agents should ask when buyers insist on submitting lowball offers. You will learn how to uncover misinformation, identify affordability problems, distinguish serious buyers from home lookers, and use better prequalification to protect your time. As consumers gain access to more information, skilled real estate professionals become more valuable. Your advantage is the ability to interpret data, apply local context, ask better questions, and help clients make decisions with confidence. This is the practical, skills-based training agents need to win more listings, navigate the 2026 real estate market, and build a stronger career through coaching, Libertas, and eXp Realty. Free training: HarrisRealEstateDaily.com Coaching: PremierCoaching.com Join eXp + Libertas: WhyLibertas.com/Harris Text Tim Direct: 512-758-0206 Opinions are my own and not the views of eXp Realty.

Send us Fan MailThe battle over private listings, office exclusives, MLS access, and who controls real estate inventory has officially reached Washington.In this episode I examine why Congress has launched an inquiry into Compass CEO Robert Reffkin and MRED, and why this investigation could reshape the future of residential real estate.For more than a year, I have argued that the biggest issue facing the real estate industry isn't commissions, buyer agency, or artificial intelligence—it's who controls the inventory. Now the House Judiciary Committee is asking many of the same questions.This episode explains what the July 22 congressional letters actually say, why Congress is interested in Compass' private listing strategy, and what it could mean for REALTORS®, brokers, MLSs, Zillow, Homes.com, Rocket, Redfin, buyers, sellers, title companies, lenders, and consumers.You'll also learn why this debate extends far beyond Compass and private listings. This is really about data ownership, vertical integration, competition, consumer choice, fair housing, antitrust law, and the future of the real estate marketplace.• Why Congress is investigating Compass and MRED• Robert Reffkin's three-phase marketing strategy• Why inventory—not commissions—is the industry's most valuable asset• The battle between Compass, Zillow, MLSs and portals• How private listings affect competition• Fair Housing concerns• Antitrust implications• Why data is becoming more valuable than commissions• Vertical integration and why everyone wants to own the consumer relationship• What this means for REALTORS®, brokers and consumers• Four possible outcomes from the Congressional inquiryCHAPTERS00:00 I Told You So01:35 Congress Enters the Real Estate Fight03:56 Why This Matters04:44 How We Got Here06:15 Compass' Private Listing Strategy08:40 Zillow, MLSs & Consumer Groups Push Back10:10 What Jim Jordan's Letter Really Says13:20 Why Congress is Looking at Competition15:35 Steering, Incentives & Vertical Integration18:00 Is This Really About Data?22:40 What It Means for South Carolina26:40 Four Possible Outcomes29:30 The Future of Real Estate32:55 Final Thoughts34:30 ClosingWhether you agree with Compass or not, this investigation has the potential to influence how homes are marketed for years to come.If you're a REALTOR®, broker, attorney, lender, title professional, appraiser, or anyone involved in residential real estate, this is an episode you cannot afford to miss.What do YOU think?Should sellers have the unrestricted right to market homes privately?Or should every consumer have equal access to every available home?Leave your opinion below.

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg launches the second edition of The Art of the CMA, along with new survey data showing agents believe CMAs are more relevant than ever, even as AI adoption grows. That leads into the episode's main debate: could AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude get direct MLS access and replace agents' role in producing CMAs and running transactions? Rob and Greg dig into MLS "participant" rules, a LinkedIn post from Craig Cheatham (Realty Alliance) pushing to redefine who qualifies as a real broker vs. a paper/AI brokerage, and a broader disagreement over whether AI is fundamentally different from past disruptors like Zillow, iBuyers, and discount brokerages. Key Takeaways Greg's second edition of The Art of the CMA launched today, with a new chapter on AI and CMAs New survey (~2,200 agents, Feb 2026) shows 89.6% believe CMAs will be more relevant in the future — a 22-point increase from the prior survey Agents report CMAs now take longer to produce and use fewer comps than before Over 90% of agents cite the MLS as their most trusted data source for comps Current AI tools lack direct MLS access, relying instead on public sources like Zillow and Redfin Rob raises the scenario of OpenAI or Anthropic obtaining a broker's license to join the MLS directly as participants Craig Cheatham's LinkedIn post to CMLS argues for a more stringent definition of "participant" to separate real brokerages from paper/AI brokerages Discussion touches on the now-expired DOJ/NAR settlement and the "endeavor to cooperate" clause as precedent Rob argues AI replaces human labor and is fundamentally different from past disruptors; Greg argues real estate remains an emotional, trust-based decision AI can't fully replicate Rob contends a transaction handled by AI connected to MLS data may carry lower risk than one handled by an average, inexperienced agent Both agree AI brokerages are already emerging and expect the MLS participation debate to escalate soon   Links LinkedIn Post The Art of the CMA   Connect with Rob and Greg Rob's Website  Greg's Website    Watch us on YouTube   Our Sponsors: Cotality  Notorious VIP The Giant Steps Job Board    Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios  

What are people arriving today getting wrong that you got wrong when you first moved to the area? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Robyn Cavallaro. Robyn Cavallaro is a real estate professional, author, educator, and local authority who has completed more than 300 transactions and surpassed 100 million dollars in sales while serving buyers and sellers in The Villages, Florida. After a failed coffeehouse placed her in bankruptcy at 56, she moved to Florida, earned her real estate license during the pandemic, and rebuilt her life using a phone, free editing tools, and a commitment to answering the questions buyers were already asking. Robyn explains how educational YouTube videos created a pipeline without paid leads, Zillow, or print advertising. She also shares why authenticity creates trust, how relocation planning calls and community tours strengthen client relationships, why agents must take responsibility for their own education, and how books, artificial intelligence, customer systems, and consistent follow up helped her become a trusted authority in a highly competitive market. Listen to the full conversation, subscribe to the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, and share this episode with an agent who wants to stop chasing leads and start attracting informed clients.   HighlightsTop of FormBottom of Form 00:00 - 10:55 Rebuilding Her Life Through Real Estate Losing a business and entering bankruptcy at 56 Moving to Florida to be closer to family Earning a real estate license during the pandemic Starting YouTube with a phone and free tools Closing four homes after adding her contact information 10:55 - 20:19 Choosing the Right Brokerage Comparing commission splits and brokerage fees Beginning with Exit Realty on limited resources Moving to Florida Realty Investments Understanding the value of mentorship and support Taking responsibility for personal business growth 20:19 - 30:14 Creating Trust Through Authentic Video Producing content that solves customer problems Helping buyers purchase homes remotely Showing the problems inside each property Being authentic instead of overly polished Treating every incoming call as an opportunity 30:14 - 39:13 Becoming a Recognized Local Authority Launching Stop Chasing Start Attracting Becoming the expert buyers discover online Publishing community guides and real estate books Creating buyer journals with Canva and Amazon KDP Using artificial intelligence as a business assistant 39:13 - 49:36 Guiding Relocation Buyers Through The Villages Working with buyers relocating from across the country Understanding second homes and investment purchases Helping families downsize before moving to Florida Conducting detailed relocation planning calls Building relationships through community campus tours 49:36 - 1:10:59 Managing Transactions and Growing Through Service Managing 19 transactions within one month Representing remote buyers who never toured the homes Using a transaction coordinator and customer relationship system Maintaining communication throughout the closing process Providing value by identifying client pain and offering solutions   Quotes: "It's not about you, it's about them. Find the pain." – Robyn Cavallaro "Real estate is not a hard job, but you have to work hard at it." – Robyn Cavallaro "You have to provide value in the content you're creating and the customers will come." – Robyn Cavallaro "You can't be fake. You can't be phony. You just need to be yourself and show them what you can do for them." – Robyn Cavallaro   To contact Robyn Cavallaro, learn more about her business, and make her a part of your network, make sure to follow her Website, X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.   Connect with Robyn Cavallaro! Website: https://robyncavallaro.com X: https://x.com/RobynCavallaro Instagram: https://instagram.com/robyncavallaro/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/robyncavallaro1 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Robyncavallaro LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/robyncavallaro/   Connect with me! Website: toprealtorjacksonville.com   Website: toprealtorstaugustine.com    SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW as we discuss real estate excellence with the best of the best.   #RealEstateExcellence #TracyHayes #RobynCavallaro #RealEstateExcellence #TracyHayes #TheVillagesFlorida #FloridaRealEstate #RealEstateAgent #YouTubeMarketing #RealEstateMarketing #ContentMarketing #PersonalBranding #RelocationSpecialist #BuyerAgent #RealEstateSuccess #AgentAuthority #StopChasingStartAttracting #RealEstatePodcast #RealEstateTraining #ClientTrust #LocalExpert #Entrepreneurship

I get personal in this episode, in order to ask questions about the nature of what is called the “housing crisis.” Are we all just doom-pilling way too much?As a case study, I talk through the life and history of my parents, and discuss whether or not their life and lifestyle is still available today. I discuss house sizes, mortgage rates, lifestyle choices, lifestyle inflation, and more.Find more content on The Messy City on Kevin's Substack page.Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here. If you'd like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5.Intro: “Why Be Friends”Outro: “Fairweather Friend”AI TranscriptIntroductionWelcome back to The Messy City Podcast. This is Kevin Klinkenberg. I'm going to do something a little different today and just talk without a guest about the topic of housing in particular and how it ties into a few other kind of hobby courses of mine. Why Challenge the Housing NarrativeReally what I want to spend some time doing is taking a contrarian view of how we talk about the so-called housing crisis. And in one sense, this is kind of fun for me to do. One of the things I really loved about my father is when we would have our discussions or debates in the family about various things that were going on, he would often take an opposite view of Almost just for the sport of it. And the truth is, there are a lot of times he was so good at it, you didn't really know if he felt that way or not. Because he could do really well to argue multiple sides of an argument. And that was really a lot of fun. It was an education for me. It's something I wish more people would just do generally and try to see an issue from multiple perspectives and try to steel man different perspectives or perspectives that are different from your own. And so I've kind of taken to obviously do that if you know me at all.You know I've done that a fair amount in my own life. Not nearly as good as my father was at it, but it has been fun to do occasionally. And I really wanted to apply this to the topic of housing. And there's a couple of reasons for this. And this also ties into a story. I'm going to tell you a little bit of a story about my parents and how they grew up and their trajectory through life, because I think it's actually very relevant to this topic. And whether or not we have a housing crisis at all in America, or if we do, what is the actual nature of of that crisis. And I want to talk about this because I just see so much online and in person conversation that I just feel like there are too many people, especially too many young people that have been kind of doom pilled on life today and life in America generally.And the thing that I want to start out that I really want to propose to everybody and talk about is the life that my parents had And their trajectory through life is still available today. It is absolutely and unequivocally still available to anyone who wants to choose the life that they lived. And in my opinion, obviously, I knew them really well. In my opinion, they had a tremendous life. They had a great life. They've both passed on in recent years. And so I have to talk in the past tense. But by any measure that matters, they had a great life. They lived well into their 80s. They had four kids. We actually all like each other. So it's not just like a, you know, there are some families where you can say, well, I love my family. But as my brother used to say, or after my dad passed, he would say, you know, that... We didn't just love our parents, we really liked our parents.And I think if you're fortunate to be in a family like that, you know a little bit of what I'm talking about. And the four of us as children all... We get along. We're still all friends with each other and get along. We enjoy being together. We're all very different people with different interests and different worldviews. In some senses, we had pretty different childhoods, interestingly enough, because there's a big age spread in our family. So my parents had four kids that they raised. They had a long, stable marriage. They were able to get consecutively better houses as they aged. And then by the time they hit retirement age, they had saved enough money to be able to do other things that they wanted to do. Along the way, they traveled when they wanted to. They really wanted to get out and see the country, see the world.When we were young, that traveling mostly involved just driving around the United States and going to national parks and big cities and seeing the sights. As they got older and had a little bit more disposable income, they would join tour groups and go or sometimes with family to foreign countries and places they really wanted to visit. And I want to give you some context because my parents were not people that grew up with money at all. And I'm going to share some of this because I think it's important to understand. How they came to be where they were and some of the choices they made and how it might impact choices that young people especially could make today.My Parents' StoryMy mom grew up very poor. She spent a part of her childhood living in a housing project in Syracuse, New York. And she was one of five kids and they, you know, her whole childhood they never had any money for much of anything. And they often lived in not the greatest part of town, in Syracuse, even when they got out of the housing project. And my dad grew up in a small town in Kansas called Baser, which is just outside the Kansas City area. But at the time when he was growing up, it was a dusty little town of like 600 people. And, again, one of five kids. And his dad was an auto mechanic, had his own garage, but also just, you know, like people do in Little Towns, did a little bit of everything. He drove a school bus. We helped out with the mail. We did a lot of different things in the town. But it's not like they ever really had any money.My Uncle George, one of my dad's brothers, used to say that they were all poor, but they didn't know it. And part of that is the nature of living in a small rural community. They had a lot of spare time and freedom to roam. And so they probably were able to, you know, occupy themselves with a lot of things that maybe other kids weren't. My mom's father, my mom's parents had a really difficult marriage. My grandfather, her father basically worked in a deli in Syracuse and he And so he worked in a Jewish deli. He was a very, very personable guy, made a lot of his own, made his own corned beef and bagels and everything. And a lot of the customers liked him, but it's not like he ever really made a lot of money. And he and his wife, my grandmother, had a really difficult time, eventually ended up divorcing.And my parents ended up meeting each other in sort of a star-crossed romance that I don't really have time to tell the entire story. But it ended up that they met when my mom was visiting a friend in Leavenworth, Kansas. And... Not too long after that, a romance ensued and eventually a marriage. My parents were born in 1935 and 36, so they're not boomers. They're sort of, I guess, what you would call as greatest generation. But they were too young to be deeply invested in the Great Depression or World War II. They were little kids, really, when all that was going on. So I guess in a sense what you could say is they had the cultural memory of those things. They grew up understanding what life was like in the Great Depression. They grew up poor. They grew up during the war and they knew all that that was going on and they were very well attuned to it, but they weren't part of it.And I think like a lot of people who grew up in that era, they were really affected, especially by the poverty of what was happening. So one of the things that we used to always say about my mom is she could stretch a nickel like anybody's business. She was frugal her entire life. And that really came from growing up with next to nothing. And then for many years... After they were married and started having kids, they were living off basically one salary, not like a big salary or anything, for a long time. And so my mom really had to stretch everything to make ends meet. I'm going to come back to the housing part of this because I think there's some importance to all this.The Housing LadderMy parents got married in 1957, on Christmas Eve of 1957, and then right after that, flew off to Germany. My dad at the time, 21, 22 years old, he had been working a little bit, but he decided he wanted to enlist in the Army, and they spent two years in the Army. He was basically sent off to Germany. And so obviously, you know, late 50s, a great time to be sent off to Germany. No active fighting or anything going on. And they spent two years there. My oldest sister was born in Germany. And then my next sister, I guess you could say, was conceived in Germany. And... And then born back here in the United States when they came back. So by the time they came back to the United States, it's about 1960, and they've got two little kids. And at that time, shortly after they bought their first house, which was in a not so great part of the Kansas City area. It was in Kansas City, Kansas.It was not a terrible area, but not like the greatest. And they bought a small house. And I've had some trouble finding out the exact details in this house, but I think it was probably a two or three bedroom with one bath. It's since been added on to, so it's hard for me to know exactly. But in this period of time, 1960 or so, that would have been their first house. And, you know, my siblings are just going to really... I want to mock my lack of understanding on some of these details, but I think by the time they left that house, my brother had also been born. So there were three kids there. And I want to trace this trajectory a little bit. There's a story here that I think we don't talk enough about that was very common and kind of understood in my parents' era. Which was the idea of buying a small house. New houses were all generally smaller than they are today.There's no question about that. We've had a lot of growth in the average size of houses. So houses were smaller. But it was also kind of understood that you were going to buy... A small house, you were going to build some equity in that, and then you would eventually buy a bigger house. And as you went through the progression of life, as you could afford more, you would buy more. And I'm not entirely sure how... I see a lot more people who are looking to buy their first house who want it all right away. They want that four-bedroom house at the right price, and they're unhappy that they can't get that. I don't want to overgeneralize, but this was something that was really common, certainly in my parents' era. So my dad, after he came back from the Army, he ended up working for a company called Wilson Foods. Wilson Foods was a meatpacking company.So at the time, one of what they called, I think, the big five meatpacking companies that were in the United States that dominated the field was, Wilson's was headquartered in Oklahoma City, but it had plants all over the Midwest. And so he started out as a clerk in the office in Kansas City. So he was on a management track, not on the factory track, but he started at a very entry level position. And then the way it kind of worked in our family and with that company was Again, this was an era where people tended to be a lot more loyal to a certain company. And there was more the idea that you find a good company to work for and you might spend your whole career there. So whenever he wanted a promotion or had the opportunity for a promotion, we typically had to move. So this story is going to sound a little crazy because we moved a lot.And people often thought that we were like a military family, that we were military brats. And we used to say, no, we're not military, we're meatpacking. And of course, people didn't have any idea what we're talking about, but another just little inside joke we had. So I want to talk a little bit as we trace this and think about house size, but also mortgage rates. Because as we talk about housing availability today, especially for sale housing, we're really stuck on the conversation about house size and about mortgage rates. Well, I think it's interesting to look at the trajectory that my parents went through and something very similar to millions of people in that generation today. Went through as they started to move on. So I think it was aboutMortgage Rates in Historical Context1966 or so that we moved to Omaha. Uh, and I went back and I just did some historical, uh, tracking of, uh, mortgage, typical mortgage rates in 1966, the typical mortgage rate was about 6%. So that's really not very far off from where we are today. Uh, depending on what you're looking at today, A lot of the standard kind of 30-year mortgage rates are around 6.5%. It fluctuates from week to week, month to month, but we've kind of been in that zone now for two or three years. And the conversation is very much about how high the mortgage rates are. Um, because we had such a sustained period of very low mortgage rates, such that people like myself, when, uh, we purchased and we, when ultimately refinanced our house in 2021, I think our mortgages, our rate is like 2.75%. So we had millions and millions of mortgages at like 3% or under. And then obviously the rates, uh, went up dramatically.Uh, they went up very, very quickly. Some of the quickest in history. And they've more or less settled into where they are the last two or three years, which is about 6.5%. But again, if you look back historically, one of the stories you can tell is that 6.5% is not like an unusually high mortgage rate. It's just not. You know, I know nobody wants to pay more than, you know... And so why don't I track here, just by way of example, some of the moves my family made. 1966, that more average mortgage rate was about 6%. In 1970, we moved from Omaha to Dell City, Oklahoma, which is a suburb of Oklahoma City. And the average mortgage rates then were closer to 8%. In 1972, we moved to Oklahoma City itself, and the rates came down a little bit, about 7.4%. In and around 1973, then we moved to Overland Park, Kansas, and mortgage rates had gone up again, a little bit more, closer to 8%.In 1975-ish, maybe 76, we moved to Albert Lee, Minnesota, where there was a meatpacking plant that my dad became the superintendent for. So this started an era where mortgage rates were really rough. So in 75, the average rate was about 9%. It went up from there. You know, in 1980, it was over, in 1980, it was almost 14%. 1984, my parents were able to, my dad was able to get a job in Marshall, Missouri. So we left Albert Lee and moved to Marshall. 84, it was still 13.88% average mortgage rate. And then by the end of that decade, 1990 had come down to about 10 and a quarter percent. And then 94, my parents, right around that period where my parents, um, Bought their final house in Lenexa, Kansas in their retirement. They weren't quite retired yet. That's a different story. But in 94, it was about 8%. And so there was a little blip again in 95 or so is about when I bought my first house.That was about eight and a half percent was a typical rate. And then it kind of went on a straight line down more or less from 1995 till about 2021 down to about that three percent rate. And so, again, this is kind of, you know, it's a bit of a long story. But if you can trace these things historically, you can see that the expectation of paying a six, six and a half, seven percent interest rate is just historically not that high. Now, I know historic doesn't matter when you're trying to buy a house today and they're not as much churn in the housing market. But I mean, that's just part of the reality that many, many families paid much higher mortgage rates. Now, what about the houses themselves? Well, this is also interesting. When we lived in Omaha, That's where I was born in 1969. Our house was a three bedroom, one bath ranch with a basement. Um, uh, sort of like a basement playroom.Uh, that was very typical for that era. So there were six of us living in a three bedroom, one bath house. When we moved to Oklahoma, the first house we had was three bedrooms, one and a half baths. And then when we moved to Oklahoma city, again, sort of within the same Metro at that point was our first four bedroom house. So here we are early seventies. Uh, my parents at that point had been married, uh, For 15 years, they had four kids at home. The oldest was now in high school or about high school age. And that was our first four bedroom house. And I think we had two and a half baths in that one. When we moved back to the Kansas City area in 73-ish, we also had a four-bedroom house. So that was a more comfortable kind of a split-level house at that point. And we're getting to the point there where almost all of us had our own bedrooms, but not all of us.I shared a bedroom with my brother in that house. I shared a bedroom with my brother for quite a long time. And when we moved to Minnesota in the mid-70s and then lived there for about eight years, we had a ranch house in Albert Lea. Housing costs everything. I will say this was my parents' experience of living in Minnesota was everything was a lot more expensive than they were used to. You couldn't, in their opinion, couldn't get as much house for your money. The taxes were a lot higher in Minnesota than in other states. The utility costs were higher. And so we had a ranch house that I think had three bedrooms and then it had a finished basement that we finished. And We put a bedroom in the finished basement that would not meet code today. It did not have the proper exiting. But that was something we did. And it was to the point where Minnesota, the winters could be pretty harsh.And so we would commonly close off the family room for the winter in Minnesota and just not use it. We had another room that had a TV where we spent the winter with But again, this is just kind of indicative of the frugal mindset that my parents had. AndLifestyle and FrugalityI want to say that because I think it's important when you're thinking about lifestyle differences in their generation versus today. And I'm not here to pass judgment on anybody necessarily necessarily. But that frugal lifestyle that they lived for many, many years enabled them to have the things that they wanted to have and do the things that they wanted to do. So what are some examples of that? Well, we almost never ate out. So I can barely even remember times as a kid that we would go out to a restaurant. My mom bought generic brands of food. She used coupons regularly. When we took vacations as a family, they were typically driving vacations. And my mom would pack a cooler full of food and we would stop at highway rest areas and eat our meals there. And we stayed in very cheap motels. Sometimes there was camping, not a lot. My mom did not like camping. But...And I'm here to tell you my memories of those trips were great. As a kid, I loved those trips. We would start, you know, for example, in Minnesota and we would drive all the way to the West Coast and we would go to the national parks in Washington State and Oregon and, you know, went to Redwoods National Park in Northern California. Or we would start in Minnesota and we would drive all the way to Disney World and we would hit sites along the way. And to me, those trips were magical and wonderful and a lot of fun. And I think for my parents, they were really great trips as well. But we did things on the cheap. And we just did not waste a lot of money on things. But it didn't stop my parents from Seeing the things they wanted to see and enjoying the things that they wanted to enjoy in life.And today, the term that we have for kind of that approach, because we have to have a term for everything, is FIRE or FI, Financial Independence or Financial Independence Retire Early. And so that's become kind of a thing that quite a number of people have latched onto. Which is terrific. And I'm a big fan of a lot of people in that world. It's also true that that was just kind of the way life was for an awful lot of people of a previous era. And that was just life. I remember my dad telling me one time that they never saved any money or weren't able to save any money until he was about 50 years old. And he had, you know, by the time he was 50 years old, at that point, he'd had decent jobs. And my mom started, she worked when she could in between raising four kids.And so as the kids started becoming more self-sufficient, she was able to work different jobs and bring in some extra money. But yeah, he had told me they really were almost never able to save money until, frankly, we moved back to Marshall, Missouri, and he had a better job. And things were cheaper. They felt like they got a big pay increase when they left Minnesota and moved to Missouri. And so not long after that, then when they were able to retire, even in retirement, even at that point when they had Enough retirement income to rely on. My mom still could never, she just did not have it in her to like overspend for anything. And she still kind of questioned every purchase that she made. But they were also really happy people. It's funny how we have often such a consumerist mindset that we feel like if we're not consuming a lot of things, that means you're not happy.My parents were very social. They had a ton of friends. They stayed in touch with their families, an extended family. And they were just very active, fun, social people. So not being able to spend a ton of money just didn't stop them from doing things. By the time that I was in high school, my siblings were all out of the house. My oldest sister was already married. Teresa was well on her way in her education and career. Dean was also already well on his way in his college education and then later working after college. But I was actually the first one that they were even able to help with a little bit of money for going to college, which of course my siblings gave me a lot of crap about. And would call me spoiled. But that was just the first time that my parents had had enough little extra money to even be able to help any of their kids at that stage.What This Means TodaySo it's just really, to me, a story of living what at that time was a pretty patently kind of common or normal life, which was you buy a small place. Maybe you start in not the greatest part of town. And then eventually you start making more money and you work your way up until you can buy bigger places and nicer places. And I think this is a story we just don't talk about very much. As your family grows, as you grow in your career, you can afford more of a house. I think there's this sometimes doom-pilling that that's just not possible today. I wanted to test this a little bit, and I just did a little bit of playing around on Zillow. Looking at what houses were available that were anything similar to what my parents might have bought as their first couple of houses.Lo and behold, in some areas that are not the nicest, newest, greatest part of town, but not bad areas, you can find those small two and three bedroom houses, at least in my metro area here in Kansas City. For $250,000 to $300,000. And there's nothing wrong with these houses. They're smaller than normal. They're not a big four-bedroom, four-bath house. But they're perfectly livable homes in decent areas. If you want to go to even less fashionable places, you can find that same house. And houses that have been remodeled for under $200,000. So, you know, yeah, you're probably going to deal with higher crime. Maybe the schools aren't, it's not the school district you want to be in, but these are livable houses that are there. And they're also the kind of places like they're not, they're not horrid places to live.Like if you got some of your friends and you all convinced each other to all move to that part of a town, you could, you could make it better by buying these properties, uh, and real estate, um, And, you know, we don't like to talk about this very much as Americans, but the truth is by like global standards, any of these houses are very luxurious. We're all very lucky to live in a place where we could live, where you could own like a two bedroom, one bath house that is modern and nice with great appliances and everything else and complain about it, that you really wish you had more. So anyway, here's a few of the numbers. Just out of curiosity, if you're wondering, if you take like a $250,000 house, if you put 5% down on it, that's $12,500. And if you have a mortgage rate at 6.65%, that's about $2,000 a month with taxes and insurance.So I'm here to tell you that $2,000 a month is cheaper than almost all of the brand new, quote unquote, luxury apartments. That are all over my city that are renting with no problem. And I know they've got a pool and they've got a fitness center, but you're also paying somebody else to live there. You're not building any kind of wealth or equity for yourself. That's the sort of thing, that's the sort of a house that you can easily do on a salary of $80,000 a year, whether it's one person or combined. And by the way, I just, I was curious about this. The average 25 year old in my metro area makes 40,000 bucks a year. So you put two 25 year old salaries together, average ones, that's 80 a year. You can buy that house. And then you can start on that process that is similar to what my parents were on.And so again, I, you know, If you were to tell me, I'm not here today to argue that there aren't changes that need to be made in our cities with our regulatory apparatus or any of that. If you've listened to this podcast at all over the last few years, you know how passionate I am about all of that. I am very much in the camp that the administrative and regulatory apparatus that we created in the 20th century for our cities has failed by every measure. That doesn't mean the people in them are necessarily bad people or dumb or anything like that. It just means that we have, we created systems that just do not work and do not produce good outcomes. And any rational person or group should be able to say, we need to junk that and start over and rethink what we're doing.And so I'm very much in that camp that there's an awful lot of what we created in the 19-teens and 20s in terms of the city planning apparatus and zoning that has been a complete failure. And we need to start over, rethink all that. It's not working. So, you know, I have that as a baseline, but I just don't think so many I don't think especially young people should be so black-pilled on everything or doom-pilled on everything. The opportunities that previous generations had are still available. Now, are they going to be available everywhere in every market for every career path? No. I mean, I get it if you live in really high-cost markets like San Francisco, New York, Seattle, LA, wherever. I have no doubt it's a lot harder. I do think there probably are less fashionable places that people overlook. That would probably be just fine.I have no doubt that that's the case in every city in the country, every region in the country. There are perfectly nice houses, but they're not the newest, most fashionable, cool location. And, and we have had such a lifestyle inflation. We don't want to necessarily go there. I get that. But the truth, the question is, do you want to get there or not? Do you want to start on that path or not? And the other thing I would tie into that is like I've mentioned on multiple podcasts here, let's say that you don't want to do that two bedroom, one bath house. You want something a little bigger. Well, you could also combine it with the house hacking approach, which I have done in my lifetime, multiple times. The first house I bought was actually built as a single family house in the 19 teens. But by the time I bought it, it was actually a triplex. It was one unit per floor.And I lived on one floor and rented out the other two. It was not in great condition. I got it pretty cheap. It was not in the best neighborhood at the time, but I got a good deal on it. I put a lot of sweat equity and work into improving it and was eventually able to sell it for a good profit and move on to the next house, which was much nicer and where I also house hacked. In that case, I had an apartment over the garage, what we call an ADU today, that I finished out as an apartment and I rented that out. And helped offset the mortgage. So there are plenty of ways that you can get creative. You could buy a three-bedroom house and rent a room out to a friend or a family member or somebody else. There are ways that you can leverage house hacking to get into the house that you might want sooner. But the main message I would have is that those things are still possible.Practical AdviceThe basics that enabled previous generations to live a good life in this country are still here. If you have a strong sense of family, if you get educated or have a trade or a skill that is tangible, that is marketable, for example, try not to enter a field of work that is overly academic or philosophical in nature. You need to have a real skill. If you have a good work ethic, If you do get married, stay married. Again, I'm not going to moralize on any of that, but the data is super clear that people who get married and stay married almost always end up in the middle class or better in this country. Make yourself valuable to others, you know, from family to neighbors. Get involved in your community in some fashion, you know, in the real world and Be frugal. Save your money. Don't waste it until you can afford to waste it.And if you have any sense of frugality when you're a younger person and you can put money away in your 20s and 30s, you will get older. And by the time you hit your 40s, 50s, or 60s, you're going to find you're going to have maybe some money, more disposable income, At that point that you can really enjoy and you're still young enough to enjoy it. And health care these days is so good and health science is so good that you should be able to stay healthy for a much longer period of time. Buy a small house, take care of it, and then either add to it or sell it and buy a bigger one when you can. That is part of the process that we just don't talk very much about today. So I think in general, I would suggest let's stay away from, try not to lean too much into doomerism.Regardless of your own personal feelings, you know, how you see the world today or not, focus on yourself, what you can control, and what's possible. And figure out how to create your own life trajectory that is valuable and great for you.What's NextI'm going to tackle a couple other subjects in future episodes. I want to talk a little bit more about how I think the... The administrative and regulatory processes we created over 100 years ago have failed us and what's to be done about that, like what's a different idea or path. And then I also want to touch on a little bit, there's a whole other subject. There's a big part of what we call the housing crisis that is really driven by a series of policy choices we've made for the last 50 years or so. That have really benefited a small number of cities and the professional class in those cities. And it's really hard to uncouple these realities that we have what a lot of people have described elite overproduction today. We have been emphasizing for 50 years to tell everybody to go to college and get a degree, any degree. And I understand why we did that at the time.I went to college and I think going to college to get a degree. To go for higher education and get a really great skill is a great thing to do. But we have a lot of people who went to college and don't really have still very marketable skills or degrees. And they're all kind of following a path that I think they were told to follow by parents and grandparents and counselors, which was go to college, go move to one of these really great cities where there's a lot of jobs for college graduates. And starting your path and what you end up with is you have too many people chasing housing and jobs in too few cities.That has led to a lot of what we talk about as the housing crisis, but there's the flip side of that we don't talk very much about, which I'll also delve into in a future episode, which, in my opinion, is the true housing crisis, and that is that we have too many places in our country that have been in terminal decline for decades. They often are well located neighborhoods. Or well-located communities, but they have been dying. And this proliferation of dying and derelict communities and neighborhoods is really at the heart of a terrible, terrible problem where people are just more bent on trying to figure out survival. Because there's not an economy to attach themselves to that gives hope for the future. So we've got two sides of the same coin with very different concerns.One is we have an awful lot of people chasing a certain lifestyle in a very small number of places that is driving price increases in those places. And then we have actually a much larger number of places that have basically been abandoned. Some that could really have hope for the future and others that there are not great answers for, at least today. And that's a subject that I'll try to tackle a little bit more for a future day. So at any rate, I hope this has been interesting for you. If you've listened to this podcast at all since I've been doing it, you know I actually really enjoy talking about my family and talking with my family members. And I've had my brother and one of my sisters on here before. And I'll be having my brother on again very soon because he's got a new book out that I think you'll be actually very interested in. So that's all for today.I hope everybody's having a good summer and we're dealing with the full breadth of the Midwest heat at the moment, but it'll be over soon and then fall is right around the corner and on into another year. Thanks so much for listening. As always, if you enjoy it, please hit like, leave a review, follow, whatever it is. I am terrible about marketing this podcast since it's something that is basically a hobby for me. But if you enjoy it, please help me out and help spread the word. Thanks so much. Bye. Farewell, farewell with a friend, farewell. Farewell, farewell with a friend, farewell. Farewell, farewell with a friend, farewell. Farewell, farewell with a friend, farewell. Get full access to The Messy City at kevinklinkenberg.substack.com/subscribe

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Tina Currin, aka Cash Money, a Triple Crown thru-hiker, Andrew Skurka guide, park ranger, wilderness EMT, and Guinness World Record holder.  In this one, Tina explains how she set the world record for most air horns blown simultaneously outside the North Carolina governor's mansion, details how she bought her Colorado house sight-unseen off Zillow during a zero day on the CDT while soaking her feet in a trash can, and she recounts getting separated from her husband in a snowstorm on the CDT, where both of them hit their SOS buttons convinced the other was dead. We also cover her Denali expedition, where she summited on day 22 with the final morsels of her food supply, after multiple deaths near her camp, why she thinks the PCT is boring, and how she landed her trail name after wielding a fat wad of singles at a trail magic session on the AT. We wrap the show with the details of the upcoming Backpacker Radio Hiker Meetup in Seattle, a rundown of 20 strange things thru-hiking does to your body, ranking the AT, PCT, and CDT from best to worst- according to triple crowners, a debate over a life rewind button vs. a life pause button, a mailbag about taser-equipped trekking poles, and the triple crown of shitty beers. LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek. Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com.  Shady Rays: Use code "TREK" for 40% off two or more pairs of sunglasses at shadyrays.com. Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% of hyperlitemountaingear.com [divider] Interview with Tina "Cash Money" Currin Tina's Instagram Time stamps & Questions 00:05:40 - Reminders: Join us for a hiker meetup in Seattle, subscribe to The Trek's Youtube, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:10:43 - Introducing Tina Currin 00:14:03 - How did the protest grow into an official Guinness World Record attempt? 00:16:25 - Discussion about the Hopscotch music festival and pre-backpacking career 00:22:18 - Tell us about the "Saturday Chores" counter-protest campaign 00:27:00 - Tell us about the "Welcome to Raleigh, Y'all" multilingual yard sign campaign 00:30:08 - Are you from North Carolina originally? 00:32:26 - How did you get into backpacking? 00:35:52 - Discussion about van life 00:44:33 - At what point did van life turn into thru-hiking? 00:54:03 - What was it like doing the AT with your husband joining last minute? 00:56:31 - Discussion about post-trail depression and becoming a chronic thru-hiker 01:04:30 - Discussion about working as a park ranger 01:06:00 - What does Grayson do for work? 01:08:40 - When did you decide that you wanted to do more thru-hikes? 01:10:39 - Walk us through your sub-6-pound pack setup 01:20:30 - Has there ever been a time that you went too ultralight? 01:27:40 - Did the PCT feel boring to you? 01:29:25 - Tell us about the Arizona Trail 01:32:00 - What is your goal with ultralight? 01:36:00 - Tell us about your nutrition strategy 01:39:49 - Tell us about the first winter thru-hike of the New England Trail 01:45:30 - Discussion about transition from winter hikes to the CDT 01:50:00 - Tina's story about the snowstorm on the CDT 02:05:00 - Do you both carry Garmins now? 02:07:55 - Discussion about complacency and risk in experienced hikers 02:10:45 - Tell us about hiking the Ice Age Trail 02:17:15 - Tell us about guiding for Andrew Skurka 02:19:15 - What drew you to attempt Denali? 02:24:04 - What goes through your mind when people die at your camp? 02:29:00 - How do you accept the activities that make you feel alive? 02:32:16 - How did you get the trail name "Cash Money"? 02:34:30 - Stay Salty Question: What's your hottest take in the world of thru-hiking? Segments Trek Propaganda:  Hike naked day (Day 61) by Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers 20 Strange Things Thru-hiking Can Do to Your Body That Nobody Talks About by Livvy Weld The Triple Crowner Survey: Ranking the Best and Worst Triple Crown Trails by Katie Jackson QOTD:  Would you rather have access to a life rewind button, or a life pause button? Triple Crown of shitty beers Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)!  Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Bob Peoples Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "I Miss Chaunce" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Thirteen Adventures, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ack, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lucas Hamilton, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.

Join Us for DealMachine Unveiled: https://www.dealmachine.com/unveiled Tom Nardone, the Millionaire Mailman, started investing in 1983 while still on his mail route and quit the post office at 35 to go all in. Today he runs a strategy most investors overlook: buying vacant land, dropping a brand new mobile home on it, and pocketing 75 to 125 thousand dollars per deal. He breaks down how he finds the right neighborhoods using Zillow comps and DealMachine to drive for dollars, and how Florida's hurricanes keep creating buildable lots. If you want a low-competition play most people haven't figured out, this one delivers.   KEY TALKING POINTS: 0:00 - Intro & Hosts 1:34 - The Certified Letter Edge 2:42 - Life After Quitting USPS 5:17 - Starting Over in 2026 6:21 - Top Mistakes New Investors Make 8:45 - The Financial Bridge to Quit W2 12:29 - Raising Capital on Cruises 14:12 - Private Money vs DSCR Loans 16:59 - Lessons From Recent Deals 18:40 - Anatomy of a Six-Figure Deal 23:36 - The Gopher Tortoise Problem 26:28 - Valuing Lots & Square Footage 29:55 - Son's Glamping Venture 31:06 - What's Next: Subdividing & Metal Buildings 34:16 - Where to Find Tom & Final Advice 35:58 - Outro LINKS: Instagram: Tom Nardone https://www.instagram.com/gethugechecksgmailcom/   YouTube: Tom Nardone https://www.youtube.com/@TomNardoneMillionaireMailman   Instagram: David Lecko https://www.instagram.com/dlecko   Website: DealMachine https://www.dealmachine.com/pod   Instagram: Ryan Haywood https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments   Website: Heritage Home Investments https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/ 

This week we're picking up where we left off last week after I shared my own journey selling my condo in PR — and this time we're going deep on buying real estate on the island. I sat down with Krystal Vias, a proud Nuyorican and founder of Buy The Block PR, who's on a mission to reconnect la diáspora with Puerto Rico, one block at a time. Krystal didn't step foot on the island until she was 38 and that first trip changed everything. Now she's helping thousands of Boricuas navigate the confusing, often antiquated process of buying property back home, from finding trustworthy realtors to avoiding land scams. We get into the real talk: the identity crisis so many of us in the diaspora carry, conscious investing versus gentrification, and why speaking perfect Spanish is NOT a requirement for belonging. If you've ever thought about buying property on the island, this episode is your permission slip.WE GET INTO:00:00 – Intro: Welcome Krystal Viaz, founder of Buy The Block PR01:26 – Krystal's story: first trip to PR at 38 and falling in love with the island02:26 – Financial education roots + losing her brother-in-law to colon cancer04:49 – Why there's no Cash App or Zelle in PR (and why that's by design)06:44 – What Buy The Block PR actually offers07:40 – Krystal's podcast, By The Blockcast08:14 – Navigating identity: being "from here but also from there"10:34 – Dealing with backlash: "you're not really Puerto Rican"12:37 – Misconceptions about buying property (it's not just hopping on Zillow)13:44 – How to actually find listings on the island16:30 – Vetting real estate agents, lenders, and contractors18:43 – Common scams and red flags to watch for20:17 – The risks of buying land (inheritance issues, unpaved roads, protected land)22:27 – What you need financially before you start looking25:41 – Conscious investing vs. displacement and gentrification30:05 – Airbnb, tax incentives, and long-term rental income34:09 – Building remote income to fund the move37:24 – "Spanish shame" and the myth that fluency is required39:37 – Internal pressure vs. external validation of Latinidad41:25 – The history behind Puerto Rican migration policies43:41 – How to get involved with Buy The Block PR45:19 – Closing thoughts: ownership, privilege, and being about itKEY TAKEAWAYS:Puerto Rico doesn't have one central MLS like the mainland — off-market properties, Facebook groups, and word-of-mouth are huge parts of the processYou'll need a trusted, vetted local team (realtor, lawyer, mortgage broker) — and red flags include people who go dark on communicationLand purchases carry unique risks: unresolved inheritance issues, unpaved roads, no electrical/water access, and protected land you can't build onMainland buyers typically need a second-home loan (20% down) unless they can prove 2 years of remote or island-based incomeLong-term rental income in PR can be tax-free — a lesser-known incentive worth knowing aboutConscious investing means asking "how does this affect my neighbors and community?" — not just "what's my ROI?"Not speaking fluent Spanish does NOT disqualify you from reconnecting — the real barrier is internal permission, not languageCONNECT WITH KRYSTAL:Buy The Block PR Website: https://www.buytheblockpr.comBuy The Block PR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BuytheblockPRTAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH YO QUIERO DINERO:

This special Best Of episode of This Month In Real Estate Investing revisits some of the show's most revealing conversations about surviving a rapidly changing property market. The panel examines falling home sales, shrinking transaction volume, rising competition among agents, stubborn interest rates, and why many professionals who entered the industry expecting easy money may not last.The conversation also explores property as an inflation hedge, rental income, seller financing, note investing, and the tradeoffs between appreciation and hands-off cash flow. From there, the panel looks at the future of experiential retail, the realities of working from home, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence on property searches, management systems, and investor decision-making. Zillow, ChatGPT, mobile homes, data accuracy, regulation, and the danger of trusting AI-generated information all enter the discussion.It's a wide-ranging collection of honest opinions, market lessons, disagreements, predictions, and practical strategies for agents and investors trying to understand where the industry is going next. Hosted by James A. Brown: https://jamesbrownrealestate.comSee more great content at https://www.unitedstatesrealestateinvestor.com/Catch all USREI content on Real Estate On Air! https://www.realestateonair.fm/

Could one of the biggest solutions to America's housing shortage already be sitting on the market? A new Zillow report finds that more than 300,000 vacant residential lots are currently listed for sale across the U.S. If just one home were built on each lot, the nation's housing shortage could shrink by more than 6%. In this episode, Kathy Fettke explains what the findings mean, why building remains so difficult, and why vacant land could present new opportunities for real estate investors.   Download your free PDF at www.Realwealth.com/AffordableMarkets.   Source: https://www.zillow.com/news/more-than-300000-empty-lots-for-sale-could-close-americas-housing-shortage-by-6-percent/

In this episode, Elijah Castelli shares his journey from buying his first rental at 16 to building a successful real estate business. He discusses market cycles, the importance of systems, faith-driven success, and practical advice for investors and agents alike. In this episode, Elijah shares his comprehensive approach to real estate investing, team building, and business growth strategies. Discover how he manages multiple operations, leverages systems, and plans to scale his property portfolio in the coming years.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

I used AI to rank every major housing market analyst since 2022 — who called the housing crash right, who got mortgage rate forecasts wrong, and where real estate is really headed in 2026. See how Logan from HousingWire, Realtor.com, and Zillow scored versus analysts still predicting a crash worse than 2008.Every day someone tells you exactly where mortgage rates and home prices are headed — but almost none of them go back and check if they were right. So I did. I ran the top housing market analysts and real estate YouTubers through AI, backdated the data to 2022, and scored who actually predicted housing correctly versus who's been calling for a housing crash worse than 2008 for four years straight.In this video I break down: The top-ranked housing market analysts since 2022 (HousingWire, Realtor.com, Zillow) The real estate influencers with the worst forecasting track record on mortgage rates and home prices Why "housing crash worse than 2008" predictions have failed for years Where my own mortgage rate and housing forecasts ranked What this means for homebuyers and homeowners deciding whether to buy, sell, or refinance in 2026

Three headlines. One bigger conversation. This week, I'll share my perspective on three stories shaping the real estate industry: AI's growing role in the homebuying journey Zillow, MRED, and Compass taking their listing control fight back to federal court Why more older adults are choosing "Golden Girls" style housing They're very different stories, but they all point to one question: What does the future of homeownership look like? I'll also share a reminder about the American promise that has made homeownership one of the greatest wealth-building opportunities in history—and why that still matters today.   Join the Conversation Live Thanks for spending part of your day with me. Every Thursday at 9:00 AM ET, I go live on YouTube to talk through the week's biggest housing and real estate headlines. The best part is hearing your questions and perspectives while we're live. I'd love for you to join the conversation. Subscribe and turn on notifications here:

Samsung announced new foldables including a phone with an unfolded aspect ratio that makes it wider than it is tall. Plus OpenAI released some details about how one of its agents broke out of a sandbox and hacked Hugging Face to find the solutions to a benchmark challenge. And we debate a recent Redfin poll on how Americans feel about data centers being built in their neighborhood. Finally its the end of the week and we got some Zillow game show action. Can you figure out the price before the panel does? Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Robb Dunewood, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!

Are you ready to stop chasing traditional real estate flips and start dominating the high-yield world of paper investing? In this episode of The Note Closers Show, Scott Carson breaks down a highly lucrative, real-world case study on a vacant, non-performing reverse mortgage (HECM) located in the booming market of Waco, Texas—home of Baylor University! This unique asset has been on the radar for nearly a year, and Scott shares exclusive details after personally driving the neighborhood and walking the exterior of this red-brick family home. When an elderly reverse mortgage borrower passes away, the family often walks away, leaving a property packed with hidden equity and a fast-track path to profitability for savvy note buyers. Scott pulls back the curtain on the asset's internal BPO, dissecting the interior condition, the layout of the property, and the exact foreclosure timeline in the state of Texas. You will learn how to analyze the legal balance against real-world comps, manage a cosmetic "lipstick on a pig" clean-out budget, and protect your capital from market devaluations. Whether your goal is a quick 90-day foreclosure auction exit that yields a staggering 40% to 80% annualized ROI, or taking the asset back as an REO to capture a $39,000 net profit, this episode delivers the exact step-by-step numbers you need to replicate this strategy. Scott also maps out the critical due diligence items every investor must verify, from pulling fresh title reports to utilizing a realtor walk-through before pulling the trigger. Tune in to discover how short-term distressed note plays can secure major double-digit returns for your self-directed IRA or passive investment portfolio! Key Topics Covered in This Episode:Understanding HECM Investing: What happens when a reverse mortgage borrower passes away, and how investors can capitalize on the resulting distressed debt. Waco Market Dynamics: A deep dive into a 3-bed, 2-bath brick property located right around the corner from the highly rated Waco Midway community. Dissecting the Case Study Numbers: Breaking down the $148,000 legal balance against a Zillow fair market value of $214,000. The 80% vs. 90% Par Bidding Strategy: How offering different price points on the legal balance changes your annualized yields and downside protection. Foreclosure Auction Exit: The mechanics of Texas's rapid 90-day foreclosure timeline and how an auction payoff generates immediate cash velocity. The REO & Rehab Blueprint: Budgeting for an interior clean-out, appliances, and paint while projecting a $225,000 retail exit strategy. Essential Due Diligence Checklist: How to leverage lockbox codes, review internal BPOs, identify potential title liens, and calculate true days on market. Don't let your investment capital sit idle. Tap into the power of high-equity distressed paper today! Watch the full episode to see the video walk-through, and grab your tickets for our upcoming 2-Day Virtual Note Buying Workshop at NoteBuyingForDummies.com!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Book a Call With Scott HERE!Sign up for the next FREE One-Day Note Class HERE!Sign up for the WCN Membership HERE!Sign up for the next Note Buying For Dummies Workshop HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join the Note Closers Show community today:WeCloseNotes.comThe Note Closers Show FacebookThe Note Closers Show TwitterScott Carson LinkedInThe Note Closers Show YouTubeThe Note Closers Show VimeoThe Note Closers Show InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

Send us Fan MailShould every home be listed on the MLS? Or are office exclusive listings actually in the seller's best interest?The battle over private listings, office exclusives, and Clear Cooperation has become the biggest controversy in residential real estate. Compass, Zillow, Redfin, Homes.com, and the National Association of REALTORS® are all at the center of a debate that could fundamentally change how homes are bought and sold in America.In this episode of Dishin' Dirt, I take a deep dive into NAR's newly released Office Exclusive & Pre-Marketing Guidance and explain what every REALTOR®, broker, and seller needs to know.This isn't another opinion piece. It's a practical walkthrough of what NAR's guidance actually says—and what it means for your fiduciary duties to your clients.I will explain: Why NAR issued this guidance now  The difference between Office Exclusives, Coming Soon, and Pre-Marketing When an office exclusive may truly be in a seller's best interest  The broker's fiduciary duties under Article 1 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics  Required seller disclosures and informed consent  One-to-one broker communications and Clear Cooperation compliance  Why NAR devoted an entire section to defending the MLS  The real question every listing broker should ask before recommending an office exclusive  How South Carolina's recent guidance aligns with NAR's national position  Why transparency—not technology—is the real issue shaping the future of real estate Whether you're a REALTOR®, broker, attorney, MLS executive, appraiser, or simply interested in the future of residential real estate, this episode will help you understand one of the most important industry issues of 2026.Do office exclusives protect sellers—or do they reduce transparency and competition? Listen and decide for yourself.

Are you struggling to find reliable cash buyers in your virtual wholesaling markets? Do you find yourself overwhelmed by too many strategies and making zero progress? In Part 2 of this live masterclass, Brent Daniels breaks down the specific tactics seven-figure real estate businesses are using to dominate in 2026. You will discover exactly how to infiltrate local Facebook groups, why networking with escrow officers is the ultimate buyer-finding hack, and how to successfully navigate the lucrative world of post-foreclosure surplus funds. Brent also shares his rigid 50-10-5 rule for structuring creative finance deals so you do not end up holding a sinking ship. If you want to hit your first $100,000, it is time to strip away the distractions and survive the 90-day filter. Be a part of the TTP training program now.---------Show notes:(0:47) The exact script to use when contacting Zillow listing agents for virtual buyers(2:07) Why asking for escrow officers instead of title companies reveals the best cash buyers(4:21) The massive untapped potential of recovering surplus funds after a foreclosure sale(7:22) How to tap into the $300 million a month generated from HOA and tax foreclosures(8:19) Why recovering surplus funds requires absolutely no market knowledge or property comping(9:26) How seven-figure wholesalers use AI to scrape and nurture real estate agent lists(11:13) The brutal reality of the 50% cancellation rate when relying on virtual agent referrals(13:55) The exact roadmap to your first $100K: One market, one strategy, one avatar(14:47) The 90-Day Filter and why staying laser-focused separates the top 5% of investors(19:48) How to protect your wholesale deal when the heir is not officially on the title yet(27:33) The 50-10-5 Rule and Brent's strict formula for structuring profitable creative finance deals----------Resources:Learn SurplusInvestorBasePropWireREI PulseTo speak with Brent or one of our other expert coaches call (281) 835-4201 or schedule your free discovery call here to learn about our mentorship programs and become part of the TribeGo to Wholesalingincgroup.com to become part of one of the fastest growing Facebook communities in the Wholesaling space. Get all of your burning Wholesaling questions answered, gain access to JV partnerships, and connect with other "success minded" Rhinos in the community.It's 100% free to join. The opportunities in this community  are endless, what are you waiting for?

On today's episode, Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler talks with Editor Tracey Velt about the ongoing portal wars, with the latest news on Google listings and the battle between Compass and Zillow. Related to this episode: Behind closed doors: The next phase of Compass's Code of Ethics complaints against Zillow HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More info about HousingWire The Top 5: Mortgage volumes point to bank share gains in Q2 NEXA Lending and former partner Mat Grella end legal fight How high can mortgage rates go with Iran conflict 2.0?  We are not ready for the next housing downturn Student loan defaults are rising, a risk to Sun Belt housing demand Want more from Sarah? Don't forget to subscribe! The HousingWire Daily podcast brings the full picture of the most compelling stories in the housing market reported across HousingWire. Each morning, listen to editor in chief Sarah Wheeler talk to leading industry voices and get a deeper look behind the scenes of the top mortgage and real estate.

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Rob and Greg dig into the recent wave of MLS/association rev-share and rebate programs (NTREIS, MetroTex, Louisiana REALTORS, Bright MLS, CRMLS) as a new play in the old "sell real estate data to Wall Street" story — and debate whether cash incentives can actually replace cooperation now that compensation is no longer guaranteed. Key Takeaways Rev-share/rebate programs mark a shift from data-monetization business models (RPR, REdistribute, Cotality/CoreLogic's InfoNet) toward paying brokers directly to stay engaged with the MLS NTREIS, MetroTex, and Louisiana REALTORS have all announced versions of this; Bright MLS reportedly returned $4M to brokers last year Rob argues real estate data's value depends on geography/scale, use-case restrictions, and the broker-vs-participant pricing gap — and that MLSs need to consolidate to matter as data utilities Rob's old "Decentre" concept: charge everyone the same flat per-data-unit price regardless of broker/participant/hedge-fund status Both raise the Blackstone/Google "arbitrage" problem — nothing stops a big buyer from just getting a broker license to access cheaper participant pricing (Zillow already does this) Rob's take: these incentive programs implicitly admit that cooperation, once free, now needs to be paid for Greg pushes back that it's more behavioral nudging (like data showing 10 CMA reports predicts retention) than a sign cooperation is dying Middlemen erode payouts fast — Rob's math: eight cuts at 5% each wipes out ~40% of the value Rob compares the "usage-based" data pricing idea to Claude's flat token pricing vs. a hypothetical usage-dependent AI pricing model — most people would pick the flat rate Both agree the checks brokers get today are more symbolic than behavior-changing Connect with Rob and Greg Rob's Website  Greg's Website    Watch us on YouTube   Our Sponsors: Cotality  Notorious VIP The Giant Steps Job Board    Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios  

Can real estate create genuine freedom when success still depends on being available when everyone else is off? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Holly Taylor. Holly Taylor is a former elementary and special education teacher who became a top producing St. Augustine real estate team leader serving military families, first time buyers, and growing families. She explains how she transitioned from teaching, committed fully to real estate, and built systems that allowed her business to grow while raising four children and navigating back-to-back pregnancies. Holly also breaks down why mentorship, disciplined follow up, fast Zillow response times, strong team culture, and family support are essential for long term success. Her story shows that financial freedom is built through relationships, accountability, grit, and a willingness to answer the phone when opportunity arrives. Listen to the full episode, subscribe to Real Estate Excellence, leave a five star review, and share this conversation with an agent who needs stronger systems, mentorship, and accountability.   Highlights 00:00-15:49 From Teacher to Team Leader Teaching elementary and special education Choosing real estate for greater flexibility Building a career while raising four children Creating systems during back-to-back pregnancies Learning why collaboration accelerates growth 15:49-27:18 Mentorship and Zillow Growth Finding guidance as a new real estate agent Preparing financially before leaving a steady job Building a pipeline instead of chasing better splits Understanding Zillow Premier and Preferred programs Responding quickly to protect every lead opportunity 27:18-43:15 Lead Conversion and Team Culture Turning Zillow calls into appointments Building trust with both decision makers Recruiting agents with urgency and grit Creating a responsive and collaborative culture Receiving support from a committed spouse 43:15-58:42 Lessons Behind the Growth Learning from previous brokerage experiences Developing confidence as a business owner Making strategic investments in lead generation Balancing personal production with leadership Using experience to improve team training 58:42-01:13:36 Relationships Over Recognition Serving military families and relocating buyers Guiding first time buyers with patience Creating lasting relationships beyond closing Building trust through consistent communication Choosing meaningful connections over follower counts 01:13:36-01:28:56 Freedom and the Future Defining success through family and relationships Creating financial freedom through real estate Planning the continued growth of the Taylor Team Supporting agents through mentorship and accountability Closing reflections on building a fulfilling life   Quotes: "I love real estate for the financial freedom that it has created." – Holly Taylor "A lot of people think that it is an island business, and you need to lean on other people." – Holly Taylor "If I were to go back to 2019 when I got my license, I would say get a mentor right away." – Holly Taylor "Real estate I can teach. Are you a good person? Are people going to like you, and do you want to work?" – Holly Taylor To contact Holly Taylor, learn more about her business, and make her a part of your network, make sure to follow her Website and Instagram.   Connect with Holly Taylor! Website: https://www.taylorteamjacksonville.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw7s1y1ub_J/ Connect with me! Website: toprealtorjacksonville.com   Website: toprealtorstaugustine.com    SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW as we discuss real estate excellence with the best of the best. #RealEstateExcellence #TracyHayes #HollyTaylor #RealEstateExcellence #RealEstatePodcast #StAugustineRealEstate #FloridaRealEstate #RealtorSuccess #RealEstateTeam #RealEstateMentor #ZillowLeads #LeadConversion #MilitaryRelocation #FirstTimeHomeBuyer #WomenInRealEstate #TeacherToRealtor #RealEstateSystems #TeamCulture #AgentTraining #RealEstateLeadership #WorkLifeIntegration #RelationshipBasedBusiness

Zillow is seeing “signs of life” emerging in the housing market. Strong demand, days pending hitting pre-pandemic levels, and serious cash flow in specific markets. How long will this last, and what happens when new construction completions fall off a cliff in the near future? Will rents and home prices reverse, going from stable (and even falling) to rising as demand outpaces supply even more? Orphe Divounguy, Zillow Senior Economist, is back to share the most up-to-date housing market data. Orphe brings good news—sales are increasing, demand is surprisingly strong, and a recovery (albeit fragile) for the housing market is underway. Some markets are seeing a drastic increase in sales; others are seeing almost unbelievably strong cash flow (Orphe is talking $1,000/month), so which markets are which? Finally, how long will this last? We keep talking about buyers getting discounts off of list price or serious seller concessions, but are we months or years away from this ending? With multifamily supply about to see a serious dropoff, the demand for housing (and rentals) could get even higher. Orphe breaks it all down! In This Episode We Cover The housing markets currently seeing strong cash flow even at list price (up to $1,000/month cash flow!) Markets with the most home sales and why they're beating many other major metros Why rent and home prices could “firm” up once this happens in the housing market No escaping this housing supply shortage? The reason why flat/declining population won't crash housing Sellers: How to price your home to get the highest (and quickest) sale (do not overprice) And So Much More! Links from the Show Join the Future of Real Estate Investing with Fundrise Join BiggerPockets for FREE Join us at the BiggerPockets Conference October 2-4 in Orlando. Buy tickets Sign Up for the Investor Brief Newsletter Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area On The Market 433 - New Data: U.S. Home Prices Are Hitting Their Floor Dave's BiggerPockets Profile Learn More from Orphe's Team Grab Dave's Book, Real Estate by the Numbers Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-444. Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler talks with Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami about how high mortgage rates could go with the new escalation in the Iran conflict. Related to this episode: How high can mortgage rates go with Iran conflict 2.0? HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More info about HousingWire The Top 5: Can the housing market weather Iran conflict 2.0 and higher rates? How ROAD aims to boost housing supply and cut red tape The housing market's inventory rebound is shifting power to buyers, but not everywhere Foreclosures climb 21% in first half of 2026, pushed by higher stress in FHA, VA mortgages Compass files ethics complaints against Zillow in 26 states Want more from Sarah? Don't forget to subscribe! The HousingWire Daily podcast brings the full picture of the most compelling stories in the housing market reported across HousingWire. Each morning, listen to editor in chief Sarah Wheeler talk to leading industry voices and get a deeper look behind the scenes of the top mortgage and real estate.

Most investors say there are no deals. Dr. Jordan Romano says you are looking in the wrong place. Jordan is a physician in the Boston area who has spent about a decade investing in one small New Hampshire town, the town where he did his medical residency. He is hyperlocal on purpose. He uses his own capital only. And his edge is not a list, a lead source, or a dialer. It is curiosity applied to public records, specifically planning and zoning board minutes that almost nobody reads. That is how the subdivision deal happened. A 0.9-acre parcel had been sitting on Zillow for six months, a block from a hospital, on town water and sewer, with the house pushed to one edge of the lot line. Jordan asked whether the town would allow a split, paid for a survey, presented to the planning board, and walked out with three lots where there had been one. A nurse at that hospital is going to build on one of them. The developer who owns 200 units nearby, and drove past that property roughly a thousand times a year, is buying the other. Jordan is also candid about the loss. He needed a zoning variance on a downtown building that should have been four units. A neighbor organized twenty households, the room was the fullest the board had seen in years, and Jordan walked away from the deal. Then he stayed until 11 PM to talk with everyone who had spoken against him. We also get into his B-class thesis, why he passed on a hundred units and does not regret it as much as you would think, how a busy physician finds deals in what he calls the interstitium, and the rule his grandfather gave him: always know where the exit is. Connect with Dr. Jordan Romano: medicalexpertwitness.com Chapters 00:00 Always know where the exit is 00:45 Welcome to Real Estate Underground 01:00 Meet Dr. Jordan Romano 01:20 A physician, a mother in real estate, and a house bought at the 2006 peak 03:00 Invest in what you know 04:00 Put all your eggs in one basket and watch the basket 05:00 Why hyperlocal beats long distance 06:00 Diners, broker opens, and off-market deal flow 07:30 Curiosity as a sourcing engine: planning and zoning boards 08:30 Reading the signal when a big developer expands 09:00 The 0.9-acre lot nobody else questioned 10:30 You don't find a deal, you make a deal 12:50 Ed's 58-acre farm and the land he almost missed 13:30 Zillow forensics: empty cabinets, oil heat, and a fall price cut 14:40 Finding the time: deals in the interstitium 16:20 Virtuous capitalism and the small-town ripple effect 17:30 Knocking on doors before you need the vote 18:00 The strikeout: a full room, a lost variance, a dead deal 20:00 Staying until 11 PM to talk to everyone who opposed him 23:00 The Final Five 23:20 Purpose: impact you can actually see 26:00 Best advice: his grandfather's rule 27:00 Sam Zell on markets versus deals 28:00 The one he'd take back: a hundred units passed on 29:00 The B-class thesis 30:00 Five brothers, one highway parcel, and a deal that got away 33:20 What's on the nightstand 36:50 Defining success: optionality and flexibility 39:00 Life outside real estate 42:30 Two grandfathers, two swimmers, one T-shirt 43:50 How to reach Jordan This week's book: The Almanac of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson Get it on Amazon Also mentioned: Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke, and Am I Being Too Subtle? by Sam Zell. Real Estate Underground with Ed Mathews. Find us wherever you get your podcasts, at clarkst.com/podcast or elevista.com/podcast Elevista - Speed as a Service™Elevista Connect is the first AI-powered lead conversion system built for real estate investors.

BV talks with Patrick Brenner from the Southwest Public Policy Institute on the Credit Card Competition Act and Zillow costing home buyers more money on News Radio KKOBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the very first thing you should do when launching a new wholesaling business? According to Bob Lachance, a real estate veteran with over 2,000 closed deals since 2004, the answer is not buying a CRM or pulling a massive list. In this powerhouse episode, Bob reveals why finding your five best cash buyers should always be step number one. He opens up about the brutal reality of closing deals in an attorney state (where lawyers can literally kill your assignment fees) and why transitioning to the wholetail model is currently dominating his local market. You will learn the specific direct mail strategies Bob uses to bypass Zillow-obsessed sellers, when you actually need to hire a Virtual Assistant, and the 5-step framework you must follow to quit your 9-to-5 without bankrupting your family. Do not let your emotions become your biggest business expense. Be a part of the TTP training program now.---------Show notes:(0:00) Beginning of today's episode(1:41) The brutal reality of wholesaling properties in an attorney state(3:41) Why your raw emotions are the single biggest expense in your real estate business(6:43) How to secure 100% funding from local hard money lenders for your deals(12:45) Direct Mail Secrets and the exact list providers and mailing frequencies Bob utilizes(15:15) Why you must use Virtual Assistants (VAs) as a spillover for your live inbound calls(22:28) Understanding the modern short sale process and when to pass them off(24:14) Why the wholetail model is absolutely crushing it in low-inventory markets(27:32) Reverse Engineer Strategy and why you must find your 5 best buyers before marketing(28:22) How Bob Lachance made $32,000 on his very first deal simply by door-knocking(30:21) Brent Daniels 5-Step Framework to quit your job and replace yourself in your business----------Resources:REVA GlobalREI PrintMail8020REIWholesaling LaunchTo speak with Brent or one of our other expert coaches call (281) 835-4201 or schedule your free discovery call here to learn about our mentorship programs and become part of the TribeGo to Wholesalingincgroup.com to become part of one of the fastest growing Facebook communities in the Wholesaling space. Get all of your burning Wholesaling questions answered, gain access to JV partnerships, and connect with other "success minded" Rhinos in the community.It's 100% free to join. The opportunities in this community  are endless, what are you waiting for?

Master advanced online home research for your First Time Homebuyer journey, using digital tools effectively while avoiding deceptive algorithms and predatory real estate sites.This episode provides First Time Homebuyers with ultimate tactics for deep online reconnaissance, teaching you how to investigate neighborhoods and properties like a pro. Learn to master advanced digital tools, from Google Maps' hidden features to municipal GIS systems, to uncover objective data and potential red flags. Discover how to avoid predatory online platforms and misleading algorithms, ensuring you rely on your trusted Unicorn team to verify all findings. Ultimately, you'll learn to balance digital sleuthing with real-world exploration, turning online warnings into actionable insights for confident decision-making. "Every online red flag doesn't become something to make you stop looking at something. It's just a yellow sticky note for your unicorn team to verify." — David Sidoni, Nationwide First Time Homebuying Coach HighlightsWhy are massive public real estate sites like Zillow and Redfin more like casinos than helpful tools for First Time Homebuyers?How can you use Google Maps' secret "time travel" features to spot unpermitted renovations or hidden water drainage issues?What's the real truth about unpermitted home renovations, and when should you actually be concerned?How do you find zoning, tax, and permit records using an Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) and county GIS systems?Why are "cash-back" offers, reward programs, and new AI conversational search tools actually traps for unsuspecting buyers?Beyond digital sleuthing, what simple physical reconnaissance tactics can reveal a neighborhood's true character at 2 a.m.?How do you turn every scary "red flag" you find online into a simple "yellow sticky note" for your trusted Unicorn team to investigate?HowtoBuyaHome.com/Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE! Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHomeInstagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcastTik Tok @HowToBuyAHomeVisit our Resource Center to to get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer. Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

Episode summary: Five Pacific Northwest climate tech investors — recorded live at Pacific Northwest Climate Week 2026 — break down where climate tech venture capital is actually flowing this year, why Seattle still trails Silicon Valley on VC dollars, and what they're really evaluating when a founder walks into the room. The conversation applies directly to anyone raising capital, building a company, or job searching in a market where AI has made it easy to look good on paper and harder to stand out. Guest bios: ​Gabriel Scheer is Senior Director, Investments and Innovation, at Elemental Impact. Gabriel leads the transportation, energy, built environment and water portfolios - supporting 76 companies across those verticals. In addition to pipeline development and due diligence, he has directly overseen over 40 new and follow-on investments, deploying more than $30M in catalytic capital. He serves as a board observer for Artyc PBC, Mythos AI, Dimensional Energy, and Found Energy and has helped to co-design and manage more than 30 first-of-a-kind and early commercial projects in communities in Africa, Europe, and North America. Previously, Gabriel was on the founding team of Lime, where he led global data policy and transit partnerships and developed go-to-market strategies in North America. As the founder of two companies, he also contributed to the book "Smart Cities, Smart Mobility." ​Ben Shwab Eidelson is a co-founder and partner at Stepchange Ventures, an early-stage venture fund backing companies building software to accelerate energy abundance and upgrade critical infrastructure. Ben also co-hosts the Stepchange Show, a long-form podcast that tells the stories of human progress through the lens of transformative technologies, systems, and infrastructure. The Stepchange Show recently covered the history of data centers and the power grid, and has had over 250,000 downloads. Prior to Stepchange, Ben was a product leader and repeat founder, building two software companies—one acquired by Google and the second by Stripe. When not nerding out on infrastructure, Ben can be found with his wife chasing their 3 kids around local Seattle playgrounds. ​Susan Su is a climate tech investor and capital formation advisor to companies and funds across the energy transition. She built Toba Capital's climate investment practice from the ground up, spanning direct deals, fund-of-funds commitments, and co-investments, and currently serves as an advisor to the fund. She is a founding board member of the Carbon Business Council and serves on the Mission Alignment Committee at Prime Coalition, where she reviews catalytic capital investments for mission integrity. Susan is also the founder of Climate Money, a newsletter and podcast covering the business of decarbonization. ​Jonathan Azoff spent 20 years in silicon valley building rapid growth startups, including multiple exits to the likes of Zillow and Disney. He served as a fractional CTO to public companies (TNY.AX), and formerly led engineering teams at growth stage fintechs like Carta, Cardless and Pomelo. In his second act, he transitioned to the investor side of the table, joining the board of climate tech incubator Sweet Farm, and starting the deep tech venture firm SNØCAP with his two founding partners. He is one of the main individual investors behind The 9Zero Climate Innovation Hub, and is responsible for bringing the club to Seattle, where he lives now. He's an uncompromising advocate of great storytelling, having fun while doing good, and not taking himself seriously. ​Dr. Christine E. Boyle is General Partner at Burnt Island Ventures, a water-specialist venture capital fund, where she works with innovators to bring the next generation of water technologies to market. She was the CEO and founder of Valor Water, which sold to Xylem in 2018. At Xylem she served as VP of Digital Product Development following the acquisition. She serves on the boards of Aclarity Water, Subeca, Previsico, EPOCH Blue, and Waterly.  Dr. Boyle is also a member of the Cal-Nevada American Water Works Association Board and a trustee of the American Water Works Association Management and Leadership Division. In Dr. Boyle's free time she plays league tennis, boats, and travels to post-socialist nations. What you'll learn: How the 2026 climate tech VC numbers break down nationally — and why concentration in a handful of mega-deals is squeezing the middle of the funding stack Why Seattle ranks #6 nationally in VC dollars despite sitting on some of the country's deepest personal wealth What investors are actually screening for beyond the pitch deck, from response time to how a founder treats their own team How the hyperscaler-driven data center and energy boom is reshaping where capital flows, and what history (the 1970s WPPSS nuclear default) suggests about the risk Why human referral has become the deciding factor in both fundraising and hiring now that AI has made outreach nearly free What's missing from the Pacific Northwest climate tech ecosystem, according to the people funding it Key moments: The panel debates whether nuclear, batteries, and data centers are "sucking up" regional capital or building a foundation the rest of the ecosystem can draw from Susan Su asks the other panelists to describe how their investment committees actually make decisions, not what they tell founders in a rejection email Christine Boyle and Ben Eidelson describe the informal signals — professionalism, stress response, pace of learning — that shape a funding decision The group discusses AI-generated pitch decks and why differentiation now matters more than polish Resources mentioned: CTVC/Currence H1 2026 funding report Silicon Valley Bank, 2025 climate tech report PNW Battery Collaborative E8 Angels 9Zero (Seattle climate tech community hub) and its "Give, Get, Get" investor-list program Elemental Impact's Data Center Innovation Initiative (with Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft) Climate Surge, an initiative from Climate Solutions "Climate Money" podcast (Susan Su) The Stepchange Show podcast (Ben Eidelson)

Barry Habib, CEO of MBS Highway and four-time winner of Zillow's Crystal Ball Award, joins Ed D'Agostino to answer a question that causes a lot of pushback: Is housing really harder now than it was for previous generations? Yes—and also no. Barry makes the case that 45% of first-time buyers are sitting out over a down payment myth, walks the math on why a homeowner's net worth is 44 times a renter's, and explains why mortgage rates from here depend less on the Fed than on the price of oil.

On today's episode, Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler talks with Editor Rachel Bader about her latest report on local markets and the interesting outliers, including hot markets in the Midwest and the rebounding demand in Cape Coral, Florida. Related to this episode: Housing Market Spotlight: The local markets behind this week's national story HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More info about HousingWire The Top 5: Compass files ethics complaints against Zillow in 26 states Vought defends CFPB cuts, calls for congressional reforms Senate questions Warsh on $100M-plus holdings and Fed ethics What REMAX's Chris Lim wants to build at the American Real Estate Association Randian urges loanDepot to consider sale, reassess leadership Want more from Sarah? Don't forget to subscribe! The HousingWire Daily podcast brings the full picture of the most compelling stories in the housing market reported across HousingWire. Each morning, listen to editor in chief Sarah Wheeler talk to leading industry voices and get a deeper look behind the scenes of the top mortgage and real estate.

Housing statistics and the latest delinquency figures kick off today's interview. Robbie interviews Bank of Oklahoma's Chris Maloney on Agency MBS performance, and what investors are watching regarding how normalization in mortgage rates and housing conditions will influence speeds, supply, and valuations going forward. And we close with why mortgage rates have hit 2026 highs.Thanks to Zillow Home Loans, Zillow's in-house mortgage lender, for sponsoring this week's podcasts. By integrating Zillow's real estate platform with financing, Zillow Home Loans helps buyers move from dreaming about a home to holding the keys. With tools built for modern lending, Zillow Home Loan's loan officers can focus on guiding buyers with care and confidence. Zillow Home Loans is an equal housing lender. NMLS #10287.The Chrisman Commentary is your go-to daily mortgage news podcast, where industry insights meet expert analysis. Hosted by Robbie Chrisman, this podcast delivers the latest updates on mortgage rates, capital markets, and the forces shaping the housing finance landscape. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just looking to stay informed, you'll get clear, concise breakdowns of market trends and economic shifts that impact the mortgage world.

On today's episode, Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler talks with Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami about housing demand with mortgage rates at yearly highs. Related to this episode: Can the housing market still grow with mortgage rates over 6.64%? HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More info about HousingWire The Top 5: Compass files ethics complaints against Zillow in 26 states For Homebuilders And Buyers, Private Lender Channels Matter Housing Market Spotlight: The local markets behind this week's national story Can the housing market still grow with mortgage rates over 6.64%? Zillow says conspiracy, MRED and Compass say Zillow did this to itself Want more from Sarah? Don't forget to subscribe! The HousingWire Daily podcast brings the full picture of the most compelling stories in the housing market reported across HousingWire. Each morning, listen to editor in chief Sarah Wheeler talk to leading industry voices and get a deeper look behind the scenes of the top mortgage and real estate.

Get your ticket for The Gathering! Use code FIRST50 for 50% off - https://stan.store/AlignedAgent/p/the-gathering--tz4xi2mgInterested in generating more deals from referral relationships? Learn more here - https://proinsight.info/faithfulHave questions or need help?

Today's episode begins with an overview of the ways consumers are interacting with originators. Plus, Robbie interviews Polunsky Beitel Green's Allan Polunsky, Jay Beitel, and Marty Green on the evolution of the mortgage industry from a legal perspective over the past five decades, and the legal and regulatory challenges lenders face today. And we close with retail sales and jobless claims figures.Thanks to Zillow Home Loans, Zillow's in-house mortgage lender, for sponsoring this week's podcasts. By integrating Zillow's real estate platform with financing, Zillow Home Loans helps buyers move from dreaming about a home to holding the keys. With tools built for modern lending, Zillow Home Loan's loan officers can focus on guiding buyers with care and confidence. Zillow Home Loans is an equal housing lender. NMLS #10287.The Chrisman Commentary is your go-to daily mortgage news podcast, where industry insights meet expert analysis. Hosted by Robbie Chrisman, this podcast delivers the latest updates on mortgage rates, capital markets, and the forces shaping the housing finance landscape. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just looking to stay informed, you'll get clear, concise breakdowns of market trends and economic shifts that impact the mortgage world.

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Rob and Greg are joined by Nick Aufenkamp (Realtor Gone Rogue), a Vancouver, WA-based broker and Substack writer, for a debate on the Zillow v. MRED lawsuit, private/exclusive listings, and whether the MLS should function as a public utility. Nick attended the preliminary injunction hearing in person and shares firsthand takeaways on Compass, MRED, and Zillow's roles in the case, followed by a wide-ranging debate on data access, buyer vs. public rights, Bright MLS's new listing rules, and NAR's recent guidance on exclusive listings. Key Takeaways Nick introduces himself: a broker of ~5 years in Vancouver, WA, founder of the DIY Home Buyer Academy, and writer of the Realtor Gone Rogue Substack, launched in February 2026. Nick recaps the Zillow v. MRED preliminary injunction hearing, which determines whether MRED must keep Zillow's data feed live for 40,000+ Chicagoland listings. Discussion of whether Compass's move to feed out-of-state listings into MRED forced MRED's hand, and whether MRED "got played" in its partnership with Compass. Debate over whether an MLS has an implicit geographic boundary, and who gets to define "objective criteria" for listing access under the 2008 DOJ/NAR settlement. Analysis of Bright MLS's new rule letting agents skip syndication and price/days-on-market tracking without penalty, and how it could reshape Compass's "3-phase marketing" strategy. Core philosophical debate: does the general public have any rights to MLS data, or only buyers — and does treating the MLS as a "public utility" mean it should be regulated as one? Rob and Greg spar over whether hiding listing data (price, days on market) erodes public trust or simply reflects a legitimate marketing strategy. Discussion of fiduciary duty and lawsuits as a check on bad-actor brokerages, versus more mandatory disclosure rules. Closing debate on whether NAR is still genuinely invested in the MLS, and whether its recent guidance on exclusive listings is too little, too late. Links Realtor Gone Rogue   Connect with Rob and Greg Rob's Website  Greg's Website    Watch us on YouTube   Our Sponsors: Cotality  Notorious VIP The Giant Steps Job Board    Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios  

Burglary Tourism: How Theft Groups Target Homes and How to Defend Yours with Mike O'Rourke of Advanced Operational Concepts   Andy interviews security expert Mike O'Rourke the CEO of Advanced Operational Concepts about "burglary tourism." These are gangs who enter the U.S. to conduct targeted burglaries of affluent homes.   O'Rourke details their tradecraft: OSINT/"Google casing," people-search sites, county records and Zillow, social media exploitation, vehicle follows, illegal trackers, hidden cameras to build patterns of life, and illegal Wi‑Fi/cellular jammers to defeat cloud-based security.   Together they discuss how you can protect your home, not only from foreign gangs, but from everyday threats.   Learn more about Mike O'Rourke and his work: https://adopcon.com/   Take control of your data with DeleteMe. Because they sponsor the podcast you can get 20% off a privacy plan from DeleteMe with promo code: DAD.  Protect your senior parents from scams with this free video series. It will share why older Americans are being targeted as well as break down today's scams so you know the red flags to spot. Watch Part 1 on YouTube now. Connect

You finished the rehab. The property is rented. You call your lender to refinance into a DSCR loan, and they tell you that you have to bring $15,000 to the closing table out of your own pocket.This is how it happens.In this episode, Ryan breaks down the real difference between hard money loans and fix-and-flip loans, why the choice on the front end directly affects your ability to refinance into DSCR on the back end, and how to run the math before you ever borrow a dollar. He also shares why Zillow will lie to you about rents, how to stress-test your numbers with 5, 10, and 15 percent drops, and the four steps every investor should follow before signing a loan.Plan your exit before your entry.

Today's episode begins with market reaction to the lowest CPI inflation report in years. Plus, Robbie interviews JPMorgan Chase's Olivia Barrow Strauss on today's housing policy landscape, examining why the U.S. continues to under build homes, how smart policy can expand supply and lower costs, and what the passage of the ROAD to Housing Act could mean for the future of housing affordability. And we close with what prices are doing at the wholesale level.Thanks to Zillow Home Loans, Zillow's in-house mortgage lender, for sponsoring this week's podcasts. By integrating Zillow's real estate platform with financing, Zillow Home Loans helps buyers move from dreaming about a home to holding the keys. With tools built for modern lending, Zillow Home Loan's loan officers can focus on guiding buyers with care and confidence. Zillow Home Loans is an equal housing lender. NMLS #10287.The Chrisman Commentary is your go-to daily mortgage news podcast, where industry insights meet expert analysis. Hosted by Robbie Chrisman, this podcast delivers the latest updates on mortgage rates, capital markets, and the forces shaping the housing finance landscape. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just looking to stay informed, you'll get clear, concise breakdowns of market trends and economic shifts that impact the mortgage world.

Record home prices. Mortgage rates at a nearly one-year high. And somehow, buyers have more negotiating power across much of the country. The 2026 housing market is splitting by income, geography, and inventory—and the national headlines are hiding it. In this live episode of tWiRE, we're asking the question behind all the conflicting data: Is this finally a buyer's market, or only for the shrinking group of buyers who can still afford to participate? A new federal housing law promises to increase supply, reduce barriers to construction, and limit large institutional investors. But housing policy moves slowly, while mortgage rates, inflation, inventory, and local demand are changing the market right now. In this live episode, we'll cover: What the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act actually changes for buyers, sellers, builders, and investors Why mortgage rates climbed despite a softer inflation report How home prices can hit a record while Miami, Nashville, and major Texas markets favor buyers Why weather, climate concerns, and college-town demand are reshaping migration and home values What "worst states to live" rankings miss about affordability, growth, and housing demand Compass expanding its Zillow fight through regulators, MLSs, and Realtor associations NAR's guidance for office exclusives, Coming Soon listings, and broker disclosures Keller Williams' planned acquisition of the 1,200-agent Jason Mitchell Group—and what it says about consolidation and lead-generation power Join live on our YouTube channel, every Wednesday at 12 PM CST!

Denver’s rental market is telling two very different stories right now. Single-family homes are holding their rent levels year over year, but condos and older multifamily units are getting hit hard. Eric Ross of CRT Management walked through three Denver submarkets that show the split clearly, and the numbers are sobering for anyone holding condo or small multi inventory. Chris Lopez sits down with Eric, who manages 950 doors across the Denver metro and has spent 18 years in local property management. Eric pulled real Zillow data from Aurora North, the 225 and Chambers corridor, and the Wheat Ridge and Lakewood submarket. In one Aurora zip code, there are 48 single-family rentals available compared to 590 condo and multifamily units competing for the same tenants. One-bedroom rents in that pocket have dropped to $745 a month, levels he hasn’t seen in over a decade. Robinwood tells the story even more sharply. Two years ago, Eric was getting nearly $2,700 for a three-bedroom through the Housing Choice Voucher program. Today, those same units are renting closer to $1,895, pricing that takes the complex back to 2018 and 2019 levels. Eric also breaks down why Denver County logged 15,953 eviction filings in 2025, which is up roughly 72% from pre-pandemic levels, and what Colorado’s recent legislation around income requirements, credit checks, and habitability has done to landlord operations. In This Episode We Cover: Why single-family rents are holding while condos and older multi keep softening The Aurora submarket with 590 competing condo and multi listings How the Robinwood rent drop from $2,700 to $1,895 reflects the broader condo market Why HUD did a mid-year Fair Market Rent adjustment in late 2025 How the 2x rent income mandate is driving evictions higher Eviction timelines now running 50 to 90 days depending on notice type A risk mitigation partnership giving landlords up to $10,000 per tenancy in protection Eric also shares his outlook for mid-2027 rents and what he thinks needs to happen for the market to stabilize. Whether you own a single-family rental, a condo, or a small multi in the Denver metro, this conversation gives you the ground-level data you need to make smart decisions through the rest of this cycle. Subscribe to the Denver Real Estate Investing Podcast for new episodes every Tuesday. Watch the Youtube Video https://youtu.be/qiAhYZAzw0s Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome and Eric Ross introduction 02:15 – 2025 vs 2026 rent comparison across unit types 06:08 – Aurora North submarket, 48 single-family vs 590 condos and multi 11:03- Comparing today’s cycle to 2008 12:48 – 225 and Chambers submarket and the Robinwood case study 17:12 – HUD’s mid-year Fair Market Rent adjustment 22:45 – Wheat Ridge and Lakewood submarket breakdown 25:04 – Denver eviction filings up 72% from pre-pandemic 26:35 – How the 2x rent income mandate is driving evictions 30:14- Eviction timelines and the 10-day vs 30-day CARES Act split 34:00 – Violence Against Women Act protections and compliance cases 36:30- The House Bill 1090 utility billback fix 40:03 – Risk mitigation through private and public housing partnerships 47:27 – Rent forecast for mid-2027 Links in Podcast CRT Management Website: CRTManage.comCRT Management Email: info@CRTManage.comEric Ross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericrossindnever/Workforce Housing CoalitionAAMDColorado Coalition for the Homeless Rocky Mountain Human Services

Keith Weinhold explains why inflation has become a permanent part of the post–World War II economy and what that shift means for today's financial system.  He breaks down economist Dr. Mark Skousen's five structural reasons behind never-ending inflation and ties them to the hollowing out of the middle class and the "last generation to live normally" concept.  Keith then introduces opportunity cost as the biggest financial expense most people overlook and illustrates how leveraging low-cost, long-term debt to buy productive real assets can turn inflation into an advantage.  He closes by outlining a practical hierarchy for which debts to eliminate first and which to keep as tools for long-term wealth building. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/614 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  FAMILY to 66866  Unlock truly passive real estate income—visit flockhomes.com/GRE today to see if your properties qualify for a 721 exchange with Flock Homes. To get in the best physical, mental, and professional shape of your life, go to DanielThomasHind.com and apply for Daniel's intensive 1-on-1 coaching for burnt-out entrepreneurs and executives. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   Welcome to GRE. I'm your host Keith Weinhold. In less than 40 years, America has gone from 75% gasoline to permanent inflation. Then learn about the biggest financial expense you will ever have in your life. It's not taxes, housing, interest charges, inflation, children, or healthcare. Most people have never heard of it today on Get Rich Education. You know, Mid South Homebuyers, that top Memphis turnkey provider. I learned that a secret weapon behind their explosive growth is more than just you buying their properties. It's an executive coach. For nine years now. Their CEO Terry Kerr and his COO Pat Nix have worked privately with a coach who I've now learned from too, and he doesn't market himself online anywhere. After 12 years behind the scenes, that coach is now making himself available exclusively for GRE listeners. His name is Daniel Thomas Hind. If you're a hard-charging business owner or investor who wants to get in the best shape of your life, physically, mentally, and professionally, you can fill out an application for a free consult. This is private one-on-one coaching for those willing to go to uncommon lengths to achieve uncommon results. Thanks to Daniel, we've all become better leaders, better operators, and better men. It started by showing up for ourselves. Now it's your turn. Go to DanielThomashHind.com. H-I-N-D. That's DanielThomashHind.com, and sign up before spots fill.   Keith Weinhold  1:41   What if you got your mortgage loans the same place I get mine? You sure can at Ridge Lending Group NMLS 42056 They provided GRE listeners with more loans than anyone because Ridge specializes in investment property. They'll help you build a long-term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequal and even chat directly with President Chaley Ridge. While it's on your mind, start at ridgelendinggroup.com. That's ridgelendinggroup.com.   Speaker 1  2:14   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world, this is Get Rich Education.   Keith Weinhold  2:31   Welcome to GRE from Bavaria, Germany, to Batavia, New York, and across 188 world nations. I'm Keith Weinhold, and you're listening to Get Rich Education. In the 19 the 1988 movie Die Hard, there's a California gas station sign in the background that's visible. You can see it there. The gas price on this sign is a jaw dropper. Unleaded 77.9 cents per gallon, regular 70-4.9 cents per gallon. That now looks like it belongs in a museum next to rotary phones and blockbuster video cards. Yes, California gas for 75 cents, and the movie Die Hard. It had all these actors from yesteryear, like Bruce Willis and Reginald Vel Johnson. Yet you, depending on your age, you might remember 1988. It's not like ancient history. Now we all know that inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon, like Milton Friedman said, but is there more to this? Is there more than the Fed targeting 2% inflation, just like it says on their website? Oh, there sure is. And by the way, with a little research, it looks like California Gas averaged 95 cents in 1988, not 75 like it shows in Die Hard, but in any case, the point is still there. And today, inflation keeps running hot. Four years ago, the pandemic made CPI inflation peak at 9.1 percent. Today, the hangover effects of tariffs push it up, and the Iran war are turning up the heat even more, with the latest reading above 4% Inflation is running at more than double what the Fed wants. You can even make the case now that inflation is out of control. But here's the thing: inflation has exceeded that 2% target for 60-three consecutive months now. I mean, think about what that means. My gosh, just imagine having an important target that affects every American and missing it 60-three times in a row. That's kind of what's happening now, and they're. Going to keep missing it. So this streak of inflation above 2% started back in March of 2021 during the pandemic hangover, and it is still going strong after 63 months. Nobody knows where this is going to end. Most Americans get crushed by rising prices because their wages don't keep up, and you know collectively they sort of think we are concerned, but then they mostly keep doing the same thing while their lifestyle quietly shrinks. So consumers despise inflation. Everyday investors are lukewarm about inflation, and leverage real estate investors are smiling like they found a 20-dollar bill in last winter's coat. Leverage real estate investors are pretty ecstatic about inflation. Now the history gets super interesting.   Keith Weinhold  5:59   Okay, how did we get into this, where we just always seem to have inflation? So learn the history, and then I'll tie it back to how it affects you as an investor. Because before World War II, inflation behaved differently. The old pre-1945 pattern was that we had inflation during wars and booms. We had deflation after panics and depressions. So therefore, the result was that over long stretches, price levels often just moved sideways. We used to have recessions more often back 80 plus years ago than we do now. So therefore, you just had these price levels move sideways because a recession even prompted deflation, actually a strengthening of purchasing power. But then after World War II, inflation basically went permanently positive. I mean, yeah, permanently positive, where inflation is just always turned on with very few exceptions to that. In wartime, now we have inflation. In peacetime, now we have inflation. During the Super Bowl, now we have inflation. It is inflation, no matter what is going on. Right then, so what changed? Prominent economist and GRE podcast guest here, Dr. Mark Skousen. He has cited five major reasons that inflation became a permanent fixture from 1945 until today. And Mark Skousen was here on the show with us almost exactly two years ago because he's also the founder of a great event called Freedom Fest that Nareesh and I broadcast a show from, the five reasons that Scowson cites for never-ending inflation are first, never-ending wars. Now this doesn't only mean formally declared boots on the ground wars where tanks are rolling, never-ending wars. It means this permanent state of global military readiness that we have today, where we have overseas bases, defense contractors, right with the military-industrial complex. We have NATO commitments.   Keith Weinhold  8:17   We have anti-terror operations, naval patrols, intelligence agencies, and all this enormous machinery that's required to keep America as the world's security backstop. Well, all that costs an awful lot of money, and when government wants more money than it collects, it has a favorite trick: just create more dollars and create them out of nothing. I mean, it's like ordering another round of drinks for the table and then putting it on the unborn grandchildren's tab. The second reason for the never-ending inflation is the 1913 creation of the Federal Reserve and how that's changed over time because the Fed they were originally supposed to defend the dollar, defend the gold standard, and act as lender of last resort. Today it mostly just does the last one. It acts as the lender of last resort, and it's really not even last resort. I mean, she shit seems to patch any significant hole in the economy by creating more dollars and then pumping them into the system. When markets wobble, banks panic, or politicians overspend, or the economy catches any kind of cold, you know, the Fed often just shows up with this fire hose of liquidity. Now, sometimes that's necessary, but either way, it means more currency creation. So, the Fed it began as this sort of sober hallway monitor, but now they're often the responsible party that needs monitoring. But no. No one is going to stand up and do it because no one in power wants austerity under their watch because that is extremely unpopular. The third reason for permanent inflation is the Bretton Woods Agreement. You've probably heard of this, but let me summarize what it briefly means. Okay, Bretton Woods was the 1944 deal that basically created the post-World War II global monetary system? It made the U.S. dollar the world's reserve currency. If you remember anything from Bretton Woods, just remember that it did that. It made the U.S. dollar the world's reserve currency, and the dollar was pegged to gold at $35 per ounce.   Keith Weinhold  13:29   And finally, the fifth reason for never-ending inflation post World War II is Keynesian economics. I mean, you probably at least heard the term before. It's been thrown around here from time to time. Named after John Maynard Keynes, K E Y N E S. And before I go on, I invested in real estate for a long time before I learned all this stuff. Probably close to a decade of investing first. So I taught myself this material, Keynesian economics. That's the belief that demand is what drives economic output and employment. So, if you only remember one thing about Keynesian economics, it's that you need demand, and it stokes demand. It says demand drives everything, and what I mean by that is the spending, spending from households, corporations, and government. So, in plain English, when private demand weakens, the government should step in and spend. That's what Keynesian economics says. Well, that means deficits, borrowing, stimulus, support, programs, relief, rescue packages, emergency measures, and see what happens is that temporary measures somehow become permanent measures wearing a fake mustache. Remember, even Nixon said removal from the gold standard is temporary. Well, that was now 50. 55 years ago, in theory, the government runs deficits in bad times and then tightens up in good times. But that doesn't really happen because, in practice, government often runs deficits in bad times and good times, war times, peace times, election years, non-election years, leap years, all the time running deficits, spending more than we take in, and when deficits become normal, well, then currency creation has got to follow. That's the consequence. Well, these five forces that I told you about for never-ending inflation, the reasons that I just shared with you-they are now structurally embedded. They are not going away.   Keith Weinhold  19:03   I mean, there is even political resistance to deflation in this system. Investors benefit the most when they own one thing: real assets tied to long-term debt. You probably knew that I was going to say that because if the dollar is designed to slowly melt. You don't want to be the one holding the ice cube. You want to own the freezer. That's the control that you have. The first half of the year recently ended. It's time for our asset class rundown. From the midpoint of last year to the midpoint of this year, single-family home values are up only about one and a half percent. That's the average of Case-Shiller and FHFA. Apartment building values are down 1% in the past year. When it comes to rents per Zillow, single-family home rents are up 2.8% in the past year to an all-time record of almost 20-$300 Apartment rents are up just. 1.3% nationally. Sunbelt Apartments were the weak spot. Apartments.com said the South was down seven tenths of 1% year over year, and the mountain region down one and a half percent. With San Antonio, Denver, Austin, and Phoenix among the weaker markets, that's due to oversupply in those areas. 30-year mortgage rates down from 6.8 to 6.6% The S S&P 500 up 21 percent on AI optimism, despite a war in Iran. Though down in past months for the year, gold is still up 21 percent, silver soared 63 percent, Bitcoin down 45 percent. I mean, speculative digital assets have really gotten a cold shoulder. Oil up 4% although it went on a wild ride, and CPI inflation reheated to 4.2% That's our asset class rundown.   Speaker 2  22:59   This is our rich dad poor dad author Robert Kiyosaki. Listen to Get Rich Education with Keith Weinhold. Don't quit your daydream.   Keith Weinhold  23:17   Welcome back to Get Rich Education. I'm your host Keith Weinhold. I want you to listen to something along with me, and then I'll come back to comment. This is from the parallel truth. It's called the last generation to live normally, and it's less than two minutes in length.   Speaker 2  23:32   We have to talk about something that sounds dramatic, but it is becoming true. Your parents may have been the last generation to live a normal life-not an easy life, not a perfect life, but a life where the basic deal still made sense. You could get a stable job, you could buy a house, you could raise children, you could save some money, you could retire one day. And even if life was hard, most people still believed that if they worked honestly, their future would slowly get better. But look at what happened to your generation. You work more, but own less. You study more, but feel less secure. You have more technology than any generation in history, but less peace, less time, and less confidence about the future. Your parents were told, "Work hard, and you will build a life. But you are being told that, "Work hard, and maybe you can afford rent. And the most disturbing part is that this did not happen overnight. It happened slowly. First, housing became an investment instead of a basic need. Then, education became a debt trap. Then, healthcare became too expensive. Then, stable jobs disappeared. Then, everything became a subscription: your house, your car, your software, your entertainment, even your future. Everything slowly became something you rent but never truly own. And while ordinary people were falling behind, the economy kept looking strong on paper. The stock market went up, billionaires got richer, companies made record profits. Politicians kept saying that everything was fine, but if everything is fine, why does an entire generation feel like it is drowning? The truth is, your parents did not live through normal history. They lived through a rare window where ordinary people. People were allowed to share in the wealth of the system, but that window is now closing. The old promise was simple: work hard, buy a home, raise a family, retire with dignity. The new promise is different: work forever, rent everything, delay children, carry debt, and call it freedom. So maybe young people are not lazy. Maybe they are just the first generation honest enough to admit that the old deal is dead. Your parents were not lucky because life was easy. They were lucky because they were the last ones who got the deal before it was taken away.   Keith Weinhold  25:27   Yeah, there it is-the last generation to live normally. That's really a fresh slant on the hollowing out of the middle class. The rules have changed. Inflation is entrenched. Now you know why. Back in 2020, the pandemic accelerated that effect, and yet it's just unbelievable to me that people think working hard and saving money is enough to get you the lifestyle that you desire. Now I am not against hard work, it's the fact that people think that that's all that it takes. Before we hit the permanent inflation era, it might have made sense for you to say, save your money, pay all cash for a cheap fixer-upper property, and work hard for years to fix it up yourself. Oh, and then you could own a modest home debt-free. Today, even if you could do that, why would you? Instead, you can just prudently finance your way through life. You could have instead borrowed for two or three already renovated properties and let debt, inflation, and perhaps even tenants do the work for you. Above all, do the right thing before you do things right. That's what I like to say. Well, the way you get wealthy is by owning a lot of assets, not by grinding in the salt mines to pay off your debt. Those that are debt free are often asset poor. The biggest financial expense that you will ever have in your life. Do you know what it is? It is not taxes or interest charges. It's not even inflation or housing or healthcare or having children, most people have never heard of it. You probably have, but most people have never heard of this biggest financial expense you'll ever have, and they certainly don't know how to avoid it.   Keith Weinhold  27:34   Say that you're 35 years old and you put 100k under a mattress for 30 years until you're 60- years old. Instead, if that would have been invested at a 12% annual return, do you know how much that would have grown to? That would have grown to $2.996 million All right, basically 3 million bucks, a 30x increase. Therefore, it would be a 2.9 million dollar mistake to save money, and what this means is that the biggest expense you'll ever pay in your life is called opportunity cost. Yeah, opportunity cost is life's biggest expense. It's the return that was foregone when you chose one option over another. So opportunity cost is not what you spend; it's what your money could have become had you put it somewhere more productive. All right, now that was a pretty extreme example of 100k under a mattress. As a listener to this show, you are probably more savvy than a person that would save big lumps of money for close to zero return. Let me give you a better example of how when you pay all cash for something, you've usually just made your future self poorer. A friend of mine heard the episode last year where I talked about buying a new car for myself, a BMW X3 SUV. As it is, you probably remember that episode. Though I could have paid all cash for the car, I put the minimum down payment in there and then financed as much as I could because of a favorable 4% interest rate that I got on a car loan. Well, my friend Jesse heard that episode. This influenced him. So what he did is he bought a Subaru for his wife. Although he had planned to pay all cash and could have paid all cash for the car, Jesse got financing, and he did better than me. He got just a 1% interest rate somehow. Wow! It was actually nine tenths of 1% but let's just call it 1% What a deal! Instead of paying all cash for the car, he held on to that chunk of money. Instead of tying it up in a depreciating asset, he is financing it all. Now I don't. How much the Subaru costs, but let's just say it was 50k to keep the numbers simple. Well, look, if Jesse feels like he can get a 10% return over time by investing his money instead of sinking it into a car, how much does he profit by borrowing? Of course, he has the advantage of keeping his funds more liquid as well, but how much does he actually profit from this arrangement?   Keith Weinhold  30:24   Well, the math is so easy that you can even visualize it in an audio format here. Now it depends on the loan term, but the simple spread is a 10% investment return minus a 1% car loan cost. That is a 9% positive spread on 50k. That's roughly $4,500 per year in benefit. That's before any taxes, risk, or fees. $4,500 a year just for doing some loan paperwork. Like if you wonder whether the loan paperwork is worth it or not, that's what we're talking about here, and that's 375 bucks a month. So if you're wondering if it's even worth it taking the time to get a car loan when you could pay all cash, it probably is. All right, now that's the upside. What about the risk that's associated with taking a loan instead of paying all cash, well, the caveat here is that the 1% loan is guaranteed, but the 10% return is probably not, and that risk gap does matter. If you're financially fragile and you can't make the payment with another pot of money, well, then you risk default. That is over leverage risk. That's the worst case scenario. All right, what's the flip side? The flip side is that you could earn a return even better than 10% As we know, with real estate pays five ways on investment property. If you earn a 20% return, now you're making $9,500 a year on the spread, not $4,500, but a 10% return. That is the base case. So again, by paying all cash instead of getting the loan, your future self would be poorer by $4,500 a year. And now, my friend Jesse, that learned this from me, he's actually a CFA, a chartered financial analyst, a sophisticated money guy. But he had simply been overlooking this. And said another way, what you're doing here is that over time, your investment is paying you more than your interest is costing you, and in my life, I have been doing exactly this sort of thing all over the place for decades. An interesting thing that I hear about this, although it makes me scratch my head, I've heard a few people say this. It's just like, oh well, I don't want to have to deal with a car payment? I just rather be done with it and move on. What is there to deal with? Just set up auto pay with preserving funds for say a 10% return. You're then going to see more dollars flowing into your account than you will out of it. I mean that part can just be automated.   Keith Weinhold  33:19   My life and finances are set up this way. In fact, when I get a loan for a rental property, I have had mortgage loan officers that are looking at my finances. They tell me that I have more stuff flowing into and out of my checking account than they've ever seen anyone have. I'm I'm financing and arbitraging my way through life passively. This is thanks in part to inflation. I am not paying very much at all in that biggest financial expense that we all have in our lives-not taxes or children or housing, but opportunity cost. I am avoiding paying that. This is the world that we live in today, a lot of times debt reduction is horrible advice. Debt free that can keep people from falling over a cliff, but it stalls any wealth creation. Now the debts that usually make the most sense to pay down they're the ones with high interest, variable rates, no tax benefit, and no productive asset attached. And here is the priority order that I use for paying down debt or paying off debt. First, it is credit cards. Pay down these first almost every time. I mean, a 20% or even 30% credit card rate. This is like financial quicksand. You don't need a sophisticated investment thesis when you can get a guaranteed 20-4% quote-unquote return by eliminating this debt. The next place I would pay down are payday loans, personal. Loans and consumer finance debt. I mean, these are usually bad debts because they're at a high rate, have a short amortization, and they're usually tied to consumption instead of an income-producing asset. Pay these aggressively too, and then next in priority is paying variable rate debt that could reset higher. This isn't quite as important to address.   Keith Weinhold  35:24   We're talking about things like HELOCs, adjustable rate loans, margin debt, and some business lines of credit. Some of those can become dangerous when rates rise, even if the rate's tolerable today. The uncertainty can be a bit of a problem. Now, when it comes to should you pay down student loans, consider that. low fixed-rate student loans that might not be urgent. It sure wasn't for me. High-rate private student loans that could be different. That could get more of your attention. You also got to weigh things like tax benefits. Look out for forgiveness programs when it comes to student loans, those haven't been quite as available lately under this administration. Also, look at employer repayment benefits before you rush to pay down student loans, and then really the last one: low fixed-rate mortgage debt. Pay that last if you ever do. In fact, it is quite possible that I will always keep this debt type around that low fixed rate mortgage debt. So really, my rule of thumb here is to kill toxic debt. Be careful with unstable debt, and don't rush to pay off cheap fixed productive debt if you ever pay it off at all. You and I covered a lot of ground today, starting with 75 cent gasoline in California, all the way to the biggest expense you'll ever pay throughout your life, being something that most people have never heard of: opportunity cost. Coming up on the show here, a lot of good episodes, including a great guest and I are going to discuss a new way to invest in residential real estate that we haven't discussed before, and it will massively boost your cash flow. If you found today's show valuable, whether it was the history of why we have permanent inflation or the idea of passively financing your way to wealth, rather than only working harder. I would be grateful if you share this episode with a friend. Just tap the share button in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen, and send it to someone who would benefit from hearing it. Or take a screenshot of this episode and post it on social media. It helps more people find the show, and it gives you and your friends something smart to talk about with each other. Until next week, I'm your host Keith Weinhold. Don't quit your daydream.   Speaker 1  37:53   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal, or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial, or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of Get Rich Education LLC exclusively.    Keith Weinhold  38:21   The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth building at getricheducation.com.  

In this episode of the podcast, we get real about a question almost every female real estate investor faces at some point: “Is my market the problem… or am I just early?” We share the story of Jamie, a WIIRE community member who came to us ready to pivot to a new city. After talking through her situation, she didn't switch markets—she wrote an offer on an 8‑unit deal in the very city she was ready to abandon. We unpack exactly why. We walk through: Why quitting a market after 1–3 deals keeps you stuck in “Zillow beginner mode” The power of deep local knowledge—rents, ARVs, school districts, “weird” pockets, and neighborhood vibes you'll never see on Google Maps How long-term relationships with local lenders, realtors, and contractors can lower your costs, strengthen your offers, and get you access to off‑market deals Why consistency (even one deal every year or two) naturally moves you up the “totem pole” with agents, banks, and vendors How community and honest conversations with other women investors can stop you from burning it all down on a hard day If you've ever late‑night Zillow‑searched your way into believing “everyone else just has a better market,” this one's for you.       Resources: Book your spot at WIIRE Summer Camp before it fills up Simplify how you manage your rentals with TurboTenant Make sure your name is on the list to secure your spot in The WIIRE Community  Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Leave us a review on Spotify Join our private Facebook Community Connect with us on Instagram

Where are America's fastest-growing business hubs—and what do they mean for real estate investors? A new GoDaddy report, paired with Zillow housing data, reveals the cities leading the nation in small business growth. Kathy Fettke breaks down why markets like San Antonio, Miami, El Paso, and Tampa are attracting entrepreneurs, creating jobs, and potentially driving long-term housing demand. Learn what these trends could mean for your next real estate investment.   Get your FREE PDF at www.Realwealth.com/AffordableMarkets Source: https://aboutus.godaddy.net/newsroom/news-releases/press-release-details/2026/GoDaddy-Reveals-2026-Most-Entrepreneurial-Cities-Zillow-Spotlights-the-Real-Estate-Trends-Fueling-Their-Growth/default.aspx