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We’re talking about how to get the biggest bang for your buck with pools, playgrounds, kitchens and bathrooms.

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ERIN Hey!

ALEX It’s Thursday. We’re now going to switch to Thursday. Every Thursday look for a new recording. Today’s topic is Biggest Bang For Your Buck.

ERIN And it started with adding a pool, because it’s that time of year! It’s that time of year where it’s pool time. Do you have a pool in your community?

ALEX No, not yet. They haven’t built it yet.

ERIN But they will?

ALEX They will. It’s a whole community center. Right now they let you use the apartment complex. You have to get approved. But we belong to Lifetime. So if we really wanted to go to the pool, they have a pool. We just go to Lifetime Fitness. Not a big deal.

ERIN Let me think about this, because we have two pools in our community and my community isn’t set up for backyard swimming pools. I think the idea of our topic today is what can you add to your home to add value. Is there, are there things that you shouldn’t do? Are there things that you should do? Based on the biggest return on your investment is going to be? So, Alex, I think you’re going to speak to the largest part of this, like market values and being able to invest. You are very, very, very versed in developers,

ALEX Pools.

ERIN Well, pools too. But developers and materials, what materials yield as far as return on your investment. I think that’s a good place to start.

ALEX Can you tell I’m, off topic, obsessed with this?

ERIN Yeah, and I’m obsessed with your nails too. Those are a cute color. You guys can’t see but it’s like a metallic white. An opal. An opal.

ALEX My Chapstick, no, I don’t think it’s Chapstick. What do you call this?

ERIN Can I smell it?

ALEX Yeah, lip balm?

ERIN It’s Eos.

ALEX It’s Eos. It’s Dunkin Donut

ERIN Oh Lord. I would eat that. I would lick my lips all day long.

ALEX It’s kinda funny I bought it and it smells like glazed donuts.

ERIN And you’ve put it on your lips literally 4 times since we’ve sat here and you’re licking you lips.

ALEX Because I can’t eat glazed donuts at Dunkin Donuts since they’re non-vegan. Therefore I have to find alternatives and this one is close.

ERIN So you’re satisfying your sweet tooth without…?

ALEX It’s so bad, it’s so bad.

BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

ALEX Okay, yeah. Biggest Bang For Your Buck. We can break it down by topics. Okay? So Pool.

POOLS

ERIN Yeah. Let me ask you a blanket question first. If you have a half acre lot, so a decent sized back yard, and you were to put a pool on half of it? So you still have green space. It would be a smaller pool to be able to do that. If you were to do that and still keep some green space would you be taking away from your home value because you don’t have the green space or do you think you’d be adding to the value because you’re adding that ammenity?

ALEX I’m biased. I always love a good pool. Obviously don’t put it on a postage stamp lot. I love a good pool. I don’t think it takes away from it. Do you ever look at backyards and think it’s missing something?

ERIN Yeah, like “oh a pool would look great right there”.

ALEX Barbeque, pool, whatever it may be. I think with a pool it lends itself to other options you might do. You can do a patio, a green space next to it for your kids, or dog, or a playground off of it. You can do a barbeque. What do you call it, not a gazebo, but a big

ERIN Like a big *snap* whatever this motion equals. Like a fireplace, that’s what I’m thinking.

ALEX It adds value. Because if you extend your indoors to your outdoors and make it another living space outside that you can use, theoretically 8 to 10 months out of the year, you’re creating more value.

ERIN Now, could that be subjective?

ALEX Absolutely! Some people don’t want to be outside. I’m showing houses now and people are like “no, it’s too much yard. It’s too much green space. It’s too, what am I gonna do with this?”.

ERIN Who are they?!

ALEX I’m gonna have to cut all this lawn, that’s the other thing.

ERIN Especially about a pool. The upkeep. The cost of maintenance.

ALEX The upkeep is actually less than having to mow your lawn.

ERIN What?

ALEX Yeah. If you get a good pool…I wouldn’t do salt water, by the way, if you have dogs. If you have animals and they drink the water it’s not good for them. So you could do a freshwater pool instead of a chlorine pool. And it’s once a week maintenance. If you have a vacuum and you already have a system that runs it and everything. My parents have one and once a week.

ERIN I still need to go to their house and see their renovation.

ALEX And I grew up with one and it was once a week. You have to check the skimmer.

ERIN What about adding a pool? What’s the cost? There are some myths out there that say if it costs me $45,000 to add a swimming pool then that adds $45,000 to my home value.

ALEX No, because it could also go the other way. It’s a gamble. It’s truly like we’re in Las Vegas, we’re going to roll the dice down the table and hoping we’re going to land on whatever number.

ERIN If you’re adding a pool it’s because you want it and it’s something of value to you, not because you’re trying to attract value.

ALEX It depends on where you live. If you live on a little bit of land then it adds value in my opinion. Because no one wants this big open space, they want something more. If all your neighbors have pools and you don’t, then sure. I think it would decrease the value of your home.

ERIN Only because there are no comps to support the value.

ALEX Correct. And if you are the one of only a couple on the street. Great. Then you’re house is only going to stick out more. If you’re the only one in the surrounding area it may not serve a purpose.

ERIN You don’t ever want to be the most expensive investment on the block.

ALEX Correct. Now obviously, different location, if they’re in Florida, everyone has one. It’s almost expected.

ERIN Right. It’s almost like where the hell is the pool if it’s not in the backyard when they get there.

ALEX Pools now you can use 7 months out of the year. My parents open theirs in April and close in October. Because it’s heated.

ERIN Right!

ALEX If you have solar panels you can run the heater off solar. It’s really not that much more a month to be quite honest.

ERIN I just know nothing about pools, pool maintenance.

ALEX It’s a misconception that it requires so much maintenance.

ERIN Literally, here I am coming in to this and I’m like oh my god it’s so expensive.

ALEX It’s not at all.

ERIN So what kind of mechanics go in to a pool? Like you said, a filter.

ALEX The pump, the heating. And then you have to get these jets that push the water around and it has a vacuum underneath. So it constantly is cycling the water as opposed to just sitting there. You have to check the skimmer, you’re going to find some dead things every now and then. For the most part you get algae problems you can scrub it.

ERIN And the little vacuums that run around the bottom.

ALEX It’s not like you’re out there for hours. I used to do it and it takes literally 5 minutes to go around the whole edge of the pool and scrub it if you want. You’re not sitting there with Clorox bleach, you’re just scrubbing.

ALEX My parents years ago tried to sell their house without the pool. Then my mom is like “forget it, we’re going to stay. We’re going to give up the membership at the country club and we’re going to put a pool in”. They put a pool in and when they went to sell it years later, they sold it within 4 days. Because of the pool. The house is on four acres. It just screamed “pool”. Now, I think having a pool in Bethesda is helpful too. In parts of Bethesda, there is just so much inventory out there. You’re not going to want to put one in in Clarksburg really, or Villages of Urbana. Some people in Kentlands have them.

ERIN You know I saw a property just recently that had a pool on the deck.

ALEX It’s on Masbury?

ERIN No I think it’s on Chestertown. But obviously you CAN do it, and it looked really nice! It was actually quite shocking. It looked very spa-like. It was a lap pool or it wasn’t a dive pool. It looked like a pool that you would truly only do swimming in it. What do you call that?

ALEX A wade pool. No, lap lane.

ERIN A lap lane, but a shorter one with the jets.

ALEX Like a wade pool. So we have a listing and I don’t know why they did this. It’s in DC. You wouldn’t expect it has an indoor pool but it has one of those what you’re talking about. It has where you’re swimming in place.

ERIN Like a treadmill.

ALEX They have that off their living room. It looks horrible. But, it’s under contract.

ERIN Someone liked it. That’s all that matters.

ALEX What’s the next topic?

ERIN As far as improvements. We talked about poo, what about repainting your house? Or getting new shutters?

ALEX I think that’s all great, depending on the color you’re going to choose.

ERIN Let’s assume that you don’t have an HOA that you have to contend with. What should be the inspiration behind the color, or any changes you’re going to make to your house? For example, when I was a child I wanted to match my makeup to my outfit.

ALEX So you wanted to be pink and purple.

ERIN But remember, that you’re not supposed to do that. I learned that your makeup should compliment your features, not what you’re wearing.

ALEX So you wanted blue eye shadow, blue shirt?

ERIN Exactly. As an adolescent. So my point is you want to accentuate the features of the house itself.

ALEX I think you can be quirky if you’re going…for example. Downtown Frederick. Annapolis. I think you can be quirky.

ERIN Oh yeah. But that’s not typical though.

ALEX I think around here you have to look at the architectural style of the home and get the feel of what it is. Is my house traditional? Is my house a little more modern? If so I always like to stick with classic colors. I like black and white, I like earth tones, I like black shutters, if you want to reverse it.

ERIN I love brick with black shutters. So good.

ALEX I’ve seen which looks really cool but is a little too forward now it’s more DC is matte black brick and white shutters.

ERIN Oh my gosh.

ALEX Or matte black brick, black lacquer shutters.

ERIN Wow! That’s modern.

ALEX I’m look at your marketing piece. If you wanted to paint that brick for example. The brick is this orange color on their marketing piece. It’s this house.

ERIN It’s a brick red.

ALEX It’s a brick red. If you wanted to switch it, I would say to keep the value of your home. Say someone wanted to paint their brick white I would keep your door white or a darker color and your shutters I would do black.

ERIN Do you think you should paint brick?

ALEX People love to. My sister did.

ERIN I think it can look great but…

ALEX It requires maintenance though.

ERIN Yes. So you can see that in downtown Frederick or even Annapolis where the line of the house. Because remember it’s all flat because it’s a rowhouse.

ALEX Annapolis is even worse because of the moisture and the salt water.

ERIN Do you think that the value? You’re giving your home great curb appeal obviously by updating the outside appearance. But if you’re spending $10,000 having your house repainted, as a reminder, you’re not going to get an extra $10,000 in your value because that’s a maintenance thing. That’s not a value thing.

ALEX I think it’s just a “I want to paint it while I live here because I love the way it looks”.

ERIN You love the way it looks driving up to it. So to touch on things that are Biggest Bang For Your Buck, let’s talk about Kitchens and Bathrooms.

KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

ERIN I know you love those!

ALEX I do.

ERIN You can put money into your kitchen and actually double your investment.

ALEX You can do small things that will double your investment. Say you don’t want to rip out all of your cabinets. Your cabinets in general are in great shape. I would recommend to have them professionally painted on the inside, or refinished on the inside. Get new doors, facing, on the front. Like if it had an inlay in it and you wanted flat. But I wouldn’t do it yourself. I’ve seen a lot of cheap ones. You have to do it the right way. You have to sand it.

ERIN It is a long process. We looked into this in our other home. The same idea. To rip everything out would be very expensive. It would have looked great. But to have them refaced was a 4 day process. It was a long time.

ALEX It is, but it’s less than having to sit through construction. At the same time you can rip up your countertops. I always recommend if you have the space, a waterfall countertop.

ERIN Beautiful. I’ve seen it a lot more lately and it’s gorgeous.

ALEX Its a little bit extra. Make it thicker, don’t make it thin. I think that’s big. Lighting is another thing. Lighting is where you should spend your money in kitchens.

ERIN Really?

ALEX I think so. If you have a beautiful kitchen but it’s dark …?

ERIN Like under cabinet lighting, and above cabinet lighting.

ALEX Above cabinet lighting, under cabinet lighting, recessed lighting.

ERIN You have white cabinets, right?

ALEX Yea, I have them all the way to the ceiling. That’s my pet peeve by the way. I do not want cabinets that do not go all the way to the ceiling. They have to go to the ceiling because I don’t want to know there’s dust up there.

ERIN Oh, I never thought about that. Now I’m going to go home and wonder what’s up there? But if you have 12′ ceilings?

ALEX Then you should do it. Even if you have 10′. I have true 10′ ceilings. Not builder 10′, true 10′. And with that I have my cabinets to the top. I know there’s never going to be dust.

ERIN I’m going to have to find a picture now of my kitchen, because I don’t even know.

ALEX So these are the things you could do. I always believe that a good backsplash helps. Don’t have it too busy. Don’t have it look generic. Don’t go to Home Depot and pick the glass tile and throw it on up.

ERIN Oh, I see. Like not the one that’s already a piece. Do you know what I’m talking about?

ALEX Yeah, don’t pick the ones that you see too often. If you’re going to do it, do something that compliments not something that takes away. And that’s the same thing for bathrooms. Bathrooms, what people look for are now toilets, new vanities, make sure your tile is updated.  The other thing about outside is playgrounds. Some people don’t want them.

ERIN That’s a good point.

ALEX Some people don’t want them. Either way it costs money to move it or to remove it.

ERIN So would you say that maybe you don’t want to do that?

ALEX If you’re going to do those kinds of things then you have to commit to it all the way. Be prepared. You need to hone in on who your buyer is going to be, that you’re so confident with your selections. When time comes to move you know this is who I’m already looking for.

ERIN You want to keep your demographic pretty big. You don’t want to narrow it down to, it’s just a family that’s going to buy my house. What if it’s not a family? What if it’s a retired couple who’s kids are grown?

ALEX I don’t think they’re going to have a giant playground because a retired couple are usually looking for something smaller.

ERIN Maybe. But you’re eliminating.

ALEX You are, but that’s okay though. You just need to know that. I always believe that if you’re going to do things you have to do it all the way. So playgrounds, don’t just throw a playground on top of grass. Throw it on top of turf, maybe box it in.

ERIN Sand.

ALEX Whatever it may be, woodchips. Make it a piece of the house, not an afterthought.

ERIN I see. So it’s not something you threw on top of something else. It’s a dedicated space.

ALEX Everything should have purpose. Same thing goes for furniture. It shouldn’t look like you had extra furniture lying around and you didn’t know what to do. Every piece needs to have a place in the house. And don’t over clutter. I hate tables.

ERIN What I see some of these listings that incredibly cluttered. And I don’t know what it is. For example, the other day I was watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians. My husband walked in. At that moment someone was walking in to Scott Septics home which is this very sprawling, beautiful home. Beautiful white-washed floors, dark railings, beautiful, white. It’s very very minimal. So minimal. And Darick’s like why do these people have these huge homes with no furniture. I was like, oh my god, I looooove it!

ALEX Yes!

ERIN I love having so much clean space and so many corners that I can see. That’s what I like.

ALEX That’s the style, that’s the look for the home.

ERIN It’s very chunky almost. All the pieces are very big. Like banisters.

ALEX That’s how our house is. I’ll have to have you over. Our couch is this big piece, but we have nothing around it.

ERIN Around the perimeter. I’m with that.

ALEX I think if you’re going to do big pieces, you need to have less of them. Like what you were saying in the show. I love it. Because you’re house speaks. You’re actually showcasing the house.

ERIN You’re showcasing your home. Whereas your center island is a huge piece itself. And the windows.

ALEX It’s like art. Your house should be like art.

ERIN What pleases you. What sparks joy as they say.

ALEX No one likes a very overcrowded painting.

ERIN Yeah, I have some pretty stark walls and I’m okay with that. I think I’m going to do a gallery at one point. Up the stairway. Literally we’ve been in our house 2 years and I can’t. I need to find one piece that I like, and start there and build around it.

ALEX To wrap it all up, if you’re going to do things: kitchen, pool, playground, bathroom.

ERIN Don’t be too impulsive. Figure out what you’re going to do and invest some real time into dedicating that space and make it beautiful.

ALEX Yes.

ERIN Not just for you, but for the future.

ALEX Like you said, do the research with the right contractors. With the right companies. Look at photos online. See what the trend is in your neighborhood. Are you going to stick out too much with these items? You don’t want to always be the one house that,

ERIN The nicest.

ALEX Not the nicest. But the one house that’s going to be hard to sell because it’s so out of place.

ERIN When I say nicest I mean you don’t want to completely comp out of your neighborhood. If you plan to make a huge sprawling swimming pool and there’s not a swimming pool three miles around you, you’re going to have a hard time keeping that value.

ALEX You’re going to have a hard time. There’s no demand for it.

ERIN Exactly. So you can make that investment and enjoy it. Get the biggest bang for your buck.

 

Want to know more about building your wealth with a well planned mortgage? Click here for our Free Resource Library password!

 

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Stay updated on Stitcher, Coffee & Jam 

The human connection, a vulnerable conversation about the roller coaster of purchasing and selling a home, that everyone goes through.

For more Coffee and Jam podcasts, click here.

Erin Hello everyone! Episode 2. Coffee & Jam with Alexandra Ross and Erin Finke. It’s a beautiful Monday afternoon. Getting a little warmer here in the DMV.

Alex I know. Maybe we’ll have to change it to margaritas and jam!

 

HOME BUYING IS EMOTIONAL

Erin That’s a great idea. Margaritas & Jam, I love it. Today we’re talking about having a real conversation about how this experience in buying real estate can be daunting.

Alex Emotional.

Erin Real emotional. We as professionals can be desensitized, because we have this conversation every single day. I think about that a lot. We talked about how I talk fast. Sometimes I find myself in a conversation with a borrower and go, let me just slow down. I forget that I have the same conversation every day and you don’t.

Alex Do you ever feel like it’s easy to tell people what to do. In the sense that it’s like the same thing over and over? I think that’s why it takes the emotion out.

Erin Exactly. But that’s a good thing, right? It’s a good thing to know that you’re working with a professional that’s not emotional regarding to each step of the transaction. However, it doesn’t humanize you. And you need to relate to your client, understand and empathize with your client and know what they’re going through. I know you’ve experienced and I’ve experienced. The human connection.

 

CASE STUDY – ERIN BUYS A NEW HOME

Alex Tell about when you got your house and how long ago that was.

Erin So I bought my very first house in 2011. Living with my parents before that, so just buying. I did buy a short sale, so it took a while.

Alex By choice? You just found this house and all of a sudden you’re like this is the one.

Erin We looked at a lot of houses and the one that we wanted ended up being a short sale. Not a huge deal. For those of you who don’t know what a short sale is, it’s when a property is being sold for less than what is currently owed on it. So the bank that owns the mortgage currently has to agree to take less. So that takes time. Attorneys are involved and they have to negotiate. [RESOURCES]

 

“A Short Sale is when a property is being sold for less that what is currently owned on it.”

 

Alex And this is in 2011? Before or after September?

Erin After. I went under contract in May and we didn’t close until the day before Thanksgiving.

Alex I feel like everything holds it then.

Erin There were a lot of short sales and foreclosures back then. I remember being a little intimidated by the process but I had been in the business for 2 years by then already and I wasn’t juggling anything else at that time. Fast forward to 2017 when I bought our current home and we sold and bought at the same time. Holy crap! I was completely unaware of everything.

Alex Did you have settlement the same day?

Erin I didn’t. Fortunately I did have a rent back. So the timing worked out perfectly. I will, every person I talk to about when we sold our first home and bought our second home it could not have gone better, the timing. We did new construction. We went under contract in October and it wasn’t delivered until May. 2016 I went under contract. 2017 in May it was delivered. But I put our house on the market the first week of March. Literally this week 2 years ago. So the first week and half of March.

Alex Were you anxious?

Erin I was terribly anxious because I didn’t have to sell my home to buy my next one, but I didn’t want 2 mortgages. And I also had an 18 month old at the time.

Alex So you had a lot going on at the time.

Erin A lot of layers. And I remember feeling incredibly uncomfortable when here I am in the mortgage business for so long. And why am I uncomfortable, I should know. Because it’s emotional! It’s an emotional thing!

Alex It is! I don’t care what price point you’re buying by the way. It doesn’t matter.

Erin It doesn’t matter. So whether you’re buying your first home, or your juggling selling your first home and buying your second home, it’s important to be reminded that this is an emotional thing. Investing in real estate is great as an investment, but it is where you’re going to live. We’re talking about a primary residence. So yes, I remember being humbled by that, and thinking, damn, this is what I talk our clients through every day.

Alex Who is talking you through it?

Erin I don’t know. Happy hour? I think it was Clyde’s Tower Oaks talking me through it.

Alex What pep talk did you give yourself?

Erin There was a lot of wine and a lot of vodka.

Alex Did you cry?

Erin I cried a lot.

Alex I feel like I can relate. For those of you who don’t know Chong, we’ll have to put up a photo of Chong and what he does.

Erin I’ll have to put up a picture.

Alex Haha! He’s running away! We’re in a conference room and it’s glass doors and glass walls. He’s gone.

 

THE LARGEST PURCHASE YOU’LL EVER MAKE

Erin To the point of having a real conversation on real estate, it’s not just facts. It’s not just what loan programs are out there. How much can I afford? How much down payment do I need? Lets talk about you emotional state. And what to expect through the process and what is normal. Guys, this is normal to feel this way. Any large purchase is exciting.

Alex It’s usually the largest purchase you’ll ever make.

Erin It’s more than likely the largest indebtedness that anyone will ever make. It’s not just a car, it’s your home! It’s an appreciating asset. There’s all these layers to it. But it’s a really interesting thing to be reminded of. It’s a lot easier to give someone direction than to take direction.

 

A home purchase is “more than likely the largest indebtedness anyone will ever make.” 

 

CASE STUDY – ALEX BUILDS HER FINANCIAL STANDING

Alex How many times have I told people what to do? And how to do it? And here I am, I basically did the opposite of what. For me, Erin and Chong are doing my loan. I’m a first time home buyer.

Erin Which I completely forgot. It’s a stigma of being in the business that you own so much.

Alex That I own so much. That’s a whole other topic. It’s the persona I give out there. You would think I own multiple properties. Now I’ve done transactions with multiple properties and my name is on it. But we never end up buying it, we’re flipping the contract. So I never had any emotion attached to it. What started to get me wasn’t the actual purchase, it was the “okay now I have to give you all of the paperwork”. It was the bullshit that everyone has to go through. And then I started to relate to my buyers on it.

Erin Why is it taking so long to get me your bank statements?! It’s a pain in the neck, I get it.

Alex I was just having this strange Friday. And then I got everything in to you, and your underwriter emailed me 10 things I wanted to cry. I was like “why”? And then I have this fear which I’m sure is normal, that it won’t get approved.

Erin It’s funny that you say that Alex, because I’ve been in this business for 10 years now and that’s how I felt. I’m like, this is what’s going to happen and my loan is going to be declined. I know everything that can go wrong. I was telling myself that something was going to happen.

Alex I know! I already have a back up plan in my head because that’s the kind of agent I am. If something doesn’t happen for a client then I already know how I’m going to help them. So I was talking to Josh, “if we don’t get approved, what’s going to happen”? He said, “you’ll be approved”.

Erin To your point, it’s totally natural to feel that way. It makes you a human. It doesn’t matter how long, maybe it has to do with the fact that I’m a woman and I worry a lot, because my husband was like, “huh? You’re worried”?

Alex Has he bought a house? See, Josh has already bought a place before. But he’s never bought a place of this caliber.

Erin But he’s been through the process.

Alex Right, he’s been through the process. But he went through the process before the market crashed.

Erin Oooh! It was loosey goosey back then.

Alex And then he ended up short selling his place.

Erin For market conditions. It’s scary! You have to put your neck out there.

Alex I’m not even scared about the payment. That doesn’t even scare me. What bothers me is the process of someone saying you’re approved. What the heck? I’m seeking validation.

Erin You are approved. I ran you through desktop underwriter. You’re approved. I’m not worried about it. I get it. When I was negotiating with the builder and I was worried, what’s going to happen. I don’t know that side. I don’t know what’s acceptable. I rely on my real estate agent at the time to handle that. I didn’t know. Just like you’re coming to me, “so am I saying this correctly? I don’t want to put any words in here that could mess things up”.

Alex It’s so funny that we’re in this position. Because I understand negotiations very well with builders, and how we negotiated our sale. We went under contract a year ago and we were able to negotiate with them to release just that house in that block of homes. And they said, “okay that’s fine. But we can’t publicly release until October.” So that was fine. I gave them money. That was another problem. I thought, “oh my god I have to source all these checks!”

Erin It’s not a problem, it’s just more homework.

Alex More homework, I’m like, wait, where did that come from? And then here I am a year later doing all this. To me, what you just said is very easy to negotiate with the builder.

Erin And to me the loan process is very easy.

Alex And here we are together talking to listeners about what we think is easy.

Erin It’s all relative.

Alex What you think is stressful is easy to me.

Erin And when you’re calling me, I’m like Alex it’s fine. It’s work history. Just fill it in. That’s so telling. Why are you asking me this question? Are you looking for there to be a problem?

Alex Here’s the other thing. I haven’t dealt with a loan in over a year. All my buyers have been cash. I’ve only been dealing with sellers and buyers. I forgot about this process all together. And I was like, what? I had no idea and then w hen you were sending Josh the updated stuff, he was like, you haven’t seen one? I was like, dude it’s been over a year.

 

FEELING VULNERABLE IS PART OF THE HUMAN CONNECTION

Erin I remember we talked about this a year ago. To the listeners, it’s a great thing to buy real estate, but it’s going to feel a little uncomfortable. It’s going to! If you’re human, you’re going to feel some degree of emotion and/or discomfort in something that’s unfamiliar to you. It’s a human connection.

Alex I think people are going to feel a lot more discomfort too, because you have to share, you have to be vulnerable. You have to open up your finances. And you’re thinking, you’ve probably heard this before, Oh they’re going to judge me. And I tell borrowers all the time, I don’t care if you can afford $50,000 or $50 million. I just don’t care. You just have to be honest.

Erin That is such a good point. You’re right. There are people who are fearful of being judged. Therefore they try to puff up a little bit. And I understand why. Self preservation. People feel like they have to put on this show. And this is such an important piece: for me to do my job best, I need to know it all. I need to know your insecurities. I need to know your pain points. I joke that it’s like we have to start dating because I need to know everything about you for me to meet the needs that you are expecting. I would imagine the same thing is for you on the sales side.

“For me to do my job best, I need to know it all…I need to know everything about you for me to meet the needs that you are expecting.”

Alex On the sales side they can hide it a little more. We don’t need to go in depth with their finances.

Erin They can hide the details. They can say, “eh, I can’t look at that house because I’m not approved. Some people I’m sure go anyway.

Alex Mmmmm? Usually we try to get them completely pre-approved so I have all the info. I know where I can push the limits on certain things. What most people don’t realize is that around here taxes vary. So we can place you in Chevy Chase MD or we can place you in DC and the tax difference.

Erin Around here you can buy two houses right next to each other and the taxes are different.

Alex Same thing with condos. Not everyone realizes that. For a condo, you also have to factor in your condo fee and a bunch of other things.

Erin Especially if someone is approved to a certain point and then they didn’t take into consideration the condo fee. Down in Bethesda a condo fee can be $700-$1000. So they say “I can afford a $500,000 condo” and I say great! Great! Are you going to get a second mortgage for the condo fee?

Alex For you, the buyers have to be more vulnerable because you’re meeting them or you’re having a conversation over the phone. I think that’s where unfortunately Rocket Mortgage succeeds, because like dating, it’s like online dating, you can hide behind. But at the end of the day you still need to share. You need that human connection.

 

BUYING A HOME IS JUST LIKE DATING

Erin Yeah, about the “spaceship mortgage” company that will remain nameless. This is not an ad sponsored by Rocket Mortgage.

Alex We had that conversation that people were like that is a walking lawsuit right there. I think there is always going to be a need for a real lender that you have to meet with and the same thing with an agent. You need a human connection.

“You need a human connection”

Erin You want to. There are people like you have described don’t want to sit in front of me, who don’t want to take the advice I can give them, who don’t trust me. That’s fine. I don’t want to work with them anyway. They don’t value the advocacy that we offer our clients.

Alex I also think that you guys, to touch on it, you may not be pre-approved today. You COULD be a year later. That’s what Erin and I were talking about before we started. Where I was a year ago I would not have been able to purchase the home that I’m building today. It has nothing to do with me working harder. It had to do with me making the right moves, with the right advice from The Yi Team on how to put myself in a better financial position. That’s the difference in an online agent or lender, versus someone that you meet.

Erin It’s a relationship, right? So, to your point earlier, this is the largest indebtedness, it’s also a huge for the sake of purchasing real estate, I don’t know if you watched Chong’s show this morning (Mortgage Monday on Great Day Washington, WUSA9), he made a great point that you can acquire a $600,000 asset by only putting down 5%. People don’t look at it like that. They look at it like, “how much is my payment going to be?” And that’s important too, there’s lots of different layers.

Erin The point is, with real estate you can get this huge asset and only put a little bit into it. If you go to a car dealership, you can get a loan for a car, but can you buy anything else for a tiny bit and that asset appreciate year after year? A car doesn’t.

Alex No.

Erin The example is that when it comes to having a conversation about what’s going to work for you, it’s specific to you. 100% to you, to no one else. There are guidelines that mortgage lenders have to follow across the board. But your story is your story and without all of your little intricacies and goals and timeline, you can’t put a square peg into a round hole. We have to figure out what it is that is important to you. What is in the way, if anything? Right? And identify all the steps that you need to take, sometimes it’s only a couple. Some people are just scared. They need the human connection.

Alex A couple could take months. Or a year. Or more.

Erin Or more. It just depends. But you set a really high goal for yourself.

Alex Extremely high.

Erin You knocked out each step and here you are. That’s a testament to how, if you’re not wanting to buy a house today, you need to identify what it is that you need to do in order to be ready when the time is right for you. Not just fiscally, but also emotionally.  Because you could be ready emotionally but not ready financially. And you could be ready financially and not emotionally!

Alex You have to be both. You have to be at least a little bit of both.

Erin There’s not always going to be a perfect balance. It’s about talking it out. This is why there will always be a need for real people, not just robots. That’s the human connection.

Alex I think anything with finances there will always be a need for a real person.

Erin Yeah, I agree. Good stuff!

Alex Yeah, it was vulnerable. I like it.

 

RELATIONSHIPS AND ADVOCACY

Erin I think this was important. This was the reason you wanted to start having these (podcasts). This is why we started having these conversations. It was about making this literally obtainable to anyone who wants to, if they want to take that step.

Alex And we talked about in the beginning is humanizing what we do. The Human Connection. For us it’s a process. Steps 1 through 10. Whatever steps. But then we forget along the way that there are actual people.

Erin Which is a great reminder. That’s what makes us good at what we do, is creating the relationship and advocacy, again, is so big. How do I represent you? It’s only by knowing all about you that I’m going to represent and advocate for what it is that you’re looking to achieve. That goes both ways. It’s not just on the loan side, it’s also on the sales side too.

Alex Love it! All right you guys, tune in next week.

Erin We’ll have lots more fun stuff to talk about. We’re going to start doing a mail bag sort of thing, where we’ll get some Q&A out there. What are some real questions you all have?

Alex I think we said last week that we’re going to Instagram this, so.

Erin Maybe next time.

Alex We’ll have to figure out the Facebook live and put questions out there.

Erin Definitely. Maybe a poll or two.

Alex Yeah, I definitely think so. And last week you answered the question, how do you take your coffee?

 

HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR COFFEE?

Erin Oh, Alex! It’s your turn!

Alex That’s right! I just thought about that. Our whole purpose.

Erin Alex, how do you take your coffee?

Alex Oooh! Okay, so I did a video of how I take my coffee. I did a video like a year ago, MTV Crib Style. I’m going to get to the point here. And I was showing my fridge. And I was showing my favorite coffee. I pronounced the coffee and I had people trolling me saying that I’m pronouncing it wrong.

Erin Oh Lord.

Alex So I was like, I think it’s pronounced “Stoke”. It’s S-T-O-K with the two dots over the O. I think? I think it’s Stok. [ www.Stok.com ]

Erin Whatever you want to call it, I agree.

Alex So it’s cold brewed coffee. It’s like this 10 hour process. It’s in a container. I get it from Harris Teeter. It’s unsweetened. So I pour it over ice in the morning, into my cup. I like to use, Califia Farms makes this coconut creamer. [ www.califiafarms.com ]

Erin This is fancy! This is real fancy! I’m like Coffee Mate, hazelnut, sugarfree.

Alex I drink cold brewed iced coffee with Califia Farms coconut creamer unsweetened. And I put that in there and I stir it up and sometimes…

Erin Even on a cold day?

Alex Oh I love it! It’s like my favorite.

Erin Really?

Alex Yeah.

Erin This is the time of year that I’m going to GO to iced coffee.

Alex I just love it. It’s not bitter. It’s the perfect aroma.

Erin We need to get Stok to sponsor our podcast.

Alex It’s the perfect amount of sweet and bitter at the same time. But then when I’m feeling fancy…

Erin When?! Alex, you’re always fancy.

Alex This is really long and drawn out. You should hear me order a drink. Do you know Laird, the professional surfer? [ www.lairdhamilton.com ]

Erin Nope.

Alex He created this coffee creamer. Found it in Hawaii when we were on our honeymoon.

Erin Ha! She’s not fancy ya’ll.

Alex No! And this is like coconut shreds, super fine. So I add it to the top. It’s like what you would put your hazelnut or whatever.

Erin Do you put your pinkie out when you pick up your glass cup?

Alex No! This is how bad it is. It’s not even in a glass. I use, they are plastic cups but they’re made out of corn. I use corn straws, so they’re eco friendly.

Erin Oh my god.

Alex Because I drink eco friendly coffee so I need an eco friendly cup to put it in!

Erin Tune in next week for more on how we’re serving our planet as well as we’re serving our local real estate market. Thanks for listening guys!

Alex Thanks! Have a good day! I hope you enjoyed the Human Connection podcast!

 

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MORE COFFEE & JAM

Time Management in Real Estate

On The Fence About Buying Your 1st, 2nd, 3rd Home?

What Color Is Your Door Knob?

Buying A House Without Your Spouse Benefits And How To Accomplish

Decluttering Your Home Before Moving

Pros and Cons Of Technology

How’s Your Summer Body?

Up The Ante

Safety Nets

Stay updated on Stitcher, Coffee & Jam 

Hey Everyone! How’s your summer (housing) body coming along?

Erin Finke of The Yi Team at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp and Alexandra Ross of Ross Residential RE/MAX are talking about the safety nets and contract contingencies that you can build in to a home offer to protect you whether you are the buyer or the seller.

Scroll down for the transcript and links.

For more Coffee and Jam podcasts, click here.

GET YOUR SUMMER HOUSING BODY READY

You should have been working on it for the last couple of months! We’re in May already!

And by that we mean, how is your summer “housing” body?!

Just like working out and just like going to the gym, results are made over the winter to have that beautiful body come summer, that you all desire to have.

You’re not going to be a statuesque beach bod or beach house without planning. You’re going to wake up one day and say, “I wish I started 6 months ago.”

Unless you won the lottery. That fixes everything. Then you don’t need us!

People think about buying and say, “I’m getting ready to buy!” and they’re not ready. And when we say they’re not ready, they have decided in their minds that they’re ready, but in their body, and when we say body we mean being realistic, having their finances in order, having your home on the market if you need to sell one, your summer housing body. All these things are important in preparing to purchase property.

It’s like your diet, if we want to relate it to something.

Right, if you want to whittle away at the fat if you will.

If you have debt you lose it, at least some of it. You can keep a little on.

To that point, it doesn’t just happen over night.

HOW YOUR MORTGAGE ADVISOR IS LIKE YOUR TRAINER

We’ve talked about buying property. But have we talked about how much time it could potentially take to purchase a home?

Most people you come across as a mortgage advisor are really ready right off the bat.

Right, there are some things based on what their goals are that need to be addressed. It’s just like meeting with a personal trainer for the first time.

“My ass is fat, I want it to be less so. So what do I do?”

How do you get where you’re going?

How is your summer housing body?

JUST GET STARTED

It doesn’t mean that you can’t buy a house this summer, if you haven’t been training for 6 months. It’s May now, you could buy in early September?

The whole point is you’re going to wish you started yesterday.

START WITH YOUR CREDIT SCORE

Alex and I were thinking about all the things that you need to know to get started. You need to know your credit score. That could be a place where there is a little extra fat hanging around. Maybe there are some derogatory items that need to be cleaned up. Or maybe it;s a little extra credit card debt that you want to tighten up and boost your credit score.

You can do this in a short amount of time. It’s the myth of how long it will take. Now, if you haven’t paid a bill, or have been habitually late for the past two year, then it is probably going to take a bit of time.

As a disclaimer, neither one of us is a credit expert or can determine credit scores. But we have seen many occasions where someone has credit issues and they want to write an offer today and there ARE things that can be done today to put you in a better position.

But there have been times too, where we have buyers that want to buy a house today and the cards just aren’t working out for them because of something in their housing that needs to be cleaned up first. It’s just the nature of it. If you stick your head in the sand like an ostrich, you’re not going to see or get anywhere.

I know we’ve touched on it a while ago on these things that you wanted that you called a pipe dream and here you are two years later with them.

And here I am again today, oh I have another one. I have these pipe dreams of things I want to do. It just means that it’s something that is far away. I was thinking about one today, okay this is something that I want to obtain in two years. And I’ve already put the motion in my head. And the steps I need to take to get there. Because it took me a year to get to where I am today. An entire year.

 

Want to know more about building your wealth with a well planned mortgage? Click here for our Free Resource Library password!

 

COFFEE AND JAM PODCASTS

Human Connection, working with a face to face with a professional who is an advocate for you.

Get Off The Fence, there are so many ways to build wealth with real estate!

Time Management in Real Estate, what it means professionally, personally and why it’s important to buyers and sellers.

 

 

 

Welcome to the Coffee and Jam podcast featuring Erin Finke of The Yi Team at Fairway Independent Mortgage and Alex Ross of Ross Residential RE/MAX.

For the full list of Coffee and Jam podcasts, click here.

Alex Allright, hey everyone. This is Alex and Erin everyone.

Erin Heeeey!

Alex Allright podcast 1. What is this Erin, the pilot?

Erin This is our pilot version of Coffee & Jam podcast. We are introducing ourselves saying hi to the world!

Alex Yes, so thank you so much for listening. We just wanted to do a little bit of today’s content as far as introducing us and what’s to come in the future episodes, maybe some future guests. And we have a really fun way of ending this podcast so make sure you listen to the end.

Erin I’m Erin Finke, just call me Erin for short. I’m a mortgage lender in Rockville MD. Alex and I have worked together for years and we thought wouldn’t it be great to put together some really great content in a podcast which isn’t really being done right now. We want to introduce ourselves. Rockville MD is where I am, like I said. I grew up here for the most part. I love the area, love the diversity of our area and all the opportunities.

Alex Did you ever get away? Where did you go to college?

Erin No, I was here the whole time.

Alex You stayed in the cold?

Erin Yes! Where did you go?

Alex Florida!

Erin Oh! That makes a lot of sense now! No, I’ve been here. I’m real boring. Alex is going to bring the diversity to this podcast. I can promise you that right now! I’m as white bread as it comes.

Alex Even though you’re vanilla, at least you change it up with toppings.

Erin I do! Sometimes I like to put a little hazelnut in there.

Alex Oooh! Haha!

Erin I usually do straight chocolate jimmies.

Alex Ooo! Jimmie Cone sounds good right about now. Let’s drive out to Jimmie Cone!

Erin Hey Jimmie Cone, opening soon! (Jimmie Cone is in Damascus and Mount Airy MD)

Alex I’m Alex, I’m from the area as well. In the Potomac area. I went to Wooten High School, so local as well. And I DID get away. I chose to peace out and live the golden life for a little bit. For those of you who don’t know I’m obsessed with Golden Girls. So I lived in Boca where all the older people go to live.

Erin All I can see is palm frond fabric right now, or bathing suits.

Alex That’s basically my guest bedroom. It’s Blanche’s bedroom. So I went to Lynn University , small little school. And then I came back and always wanted to move back to Florida. But then I met Josh. Josh is my husband. He’s also in real estate.

Erin Dammit Josh. Always squashing the dream.

Alex I know! And then years go by and we start our team. Now we have my mom, Tracy, and Antoine.

Erin Ross Residential in the house!

Alex Our office is downstairs. We’re RE/MAX Realty Services and Erin is just three floors up from me. So we had a brilliant idea of starting a podcast and wanted to see: 1) is anyone going to listen…If you’re there, hi!

Erin I’ve always felt like I have a good radio voice so I felt this was a natural fit for me. You guys be the judge! “Today on With Alex and Erin, we’re introducing ourselves as well as what we do. Alex is an expert real estate professional. I am an expert mortgage lender with The Yi Team at Fairway Independent Mortgage.” Was that okay?

Alex You annunciation was VERY good.

Erin Do you think it was good? People say that I talk SO fast. It’s a thing with my dad and I.

Alex We’ve had that conversation that we think we need to slow down.

Erin Yes! So I am trying to take my time…

Alex Thank god we’re not drinking.

Erin Well, we’ll get to that. I’m sure there will be an episode on that. But my dad always says to me, “Erin, gosh! Slow down!”  and I say, “Dad, just speed up your hearing, and we’ll be fine.” So we go at it a little bit. I find myself speaking fast. So this is going to be great on many levels: getting information out to the masses that we find valuable and we think other people will find valuable. But also in practicing speaking clearer and slower so that people are not confused.

Alex There you go. So just a recap, we are in the real estate industry. We hit both targets: mortgage and lending, and also finding you homes and selling your home. In the DC Metro area. So let us know what questions you have. Each week we’ll add onto content. We’re going to try to make it “sexy” because I just don’t find what we do to be very dry.

Erin It can be very dry! But we both have the kind of personalities where we want to have a good time. Having these organic conversations about what we do, and also how it can be fun, and exciting.

Alex I think it is.

Erin Clearly I find it exciting because I like to do it every day. I think we can have a lot of fun here. People will enjoy making fun of us, together.

Alex So it’s like a little bit of CNBC mixed with a little bit of HGTV up in the house here.

Erin Right, with a little bit of TLC maybe?

Alex Maybe a little bit of BRAVO?

Erin I can get down with a little bit of BRAVO. Don’t Be Tardy?

Alex Yes!

Erin I’m kind of a big Kim Zolciak-Biermann fan. It’s definitely one of those secret single behaviors. Don’t tell anyone.

Alex Thanks for tuning in to our Coffee & Jam podcast. We’re going to end each episode with a question. It’s going to be the same question every time. I’ll start by asking Erin. Once you guys hear it if you want to send us a message and let us know, we’ll feature your answer in the next podcast.

Alex Erin, how do you take your coffee?

Erin That’s a great question Alex. I wish I had asked you this question first. I’m so simple. It depends.

Alex Oooh, mood?

Erin Well, am I on the road or am I at home?

Alex Okay, on the road. Because usually you’re coming here Monday through Friday.

Erin If I’m on the road, meaning I’m stopping for coffee, I would like a Vanilla Latte from Starbucks. But if I’m at home, I’m just going to have Donut Shop from the Keurig.

Alex I saw your daughter organized it for you.

Erin Exactly! Donut Shop, regular. With hazelnut, sugarfree Coffeemate creamer.

Alex Really? Yum!

Erin So next week you’ll find out how Alex takes her coffee!

Alex Have a wonderful day! If you’re in the DMV I hope you stay warm. I’m hoping for warmer weather.

Erin I can’t take it anymore. I’m just going to start wearing sleeveless shirts to WILL the warmth to come to me.

Alex I hope you don’t get pneumonia after that!

Alex Thanks for tuning in to the Coffee & Jam podcast! We’ll be back next week with a new episode when you can find out how I take my coffee.

Erin & Alex Till next time! Bye!

 

Know more about building your wealth with a well planned mortgage. Click here for our Free Resource Library password!

 

MORE COFFEE & JAM PODCAST

Human Connection

Time Management in Real Estate

On The Fence About Buying Your 1st, 2nd, 3rd Home?

What Color Is Your Door Knob?

Buying A House Without Your Spouse Benefits And How To Accomplish

Decluttering Your Home Before Moving

Pros and Cons Of Technology

How’s Your Summer Body?

Up The Ante

Safety Nets

Time Management In Real Estate, The Coffee And Jam Podcast

Just a conversation about time management and what that means professionally, individually, and why it’s important to a buyer and seller.

SET UP YOUR CALENDAR

First set up your calendar. Use color blocking to mark the money making events in green. That’s your “green time”. Be smart about distractions.

Mike Herson of Congressional Insurance posted on Facebook a great quote. When he goes into a meeting with a person, he’s giving that person the same level of undivided attention that you deserve. You can’t give a superior level of service when you’re reacting to phone calls.

PERSONAL TIME MANAGEMENT

We’re working with multiple players on a mortgage: buyers, buyer’s agent, sellers, selling agent, title companies, etc. Time management is important here especially. Spring through July is our busiest time. We slow down in August. Alex will only show 5 houses in one day. Otherwise it’s too much, for a realtor and for a potential buyer.

Knowing when to take a breath is very important to stay successful. Both Alex and Erin devote their personal time to family after a certain hour in the evening. It’s a time to recharge. Don’t keep your phone by your bed. It’s too tempting to check in. Alex will leave her phone across the room. Erin recommends not looking at your phone unless you have time to actually deal with a problem right away.

Know and honor your limits. Take time to recharge, step back and realize that life is great. Use time management in real estate in smart ways.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS

Contracts are state that time is of the essence. It’s important that buyers and sellers are timely with documents and  on time for showings. For example there is a contingency in loan procedures that states without certain documents a loan officer cannot order an appraisal, by law.

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

Drop in on the next podcast, “Get Off The Fence”, how to build wealth with your home equity. So be brave, reach out to Erin or Alex to talk about your options!

Catch up with Alex Ross of Ross Residential at RE/MAX. 

Find out what our clients are saying about The Yi Team in our testimonials.

 

 

On the fence about your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd home loans? Get off the fence! There are so many ways to build wealth with real estate. Alex and Erin discuss using the equity in your home to move up to your next home. Get off the fence about home ownership!

Erin Finke of The Yi Team at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp and Alexandra Ross of Ross Residential RE/MAX discuss how to build wealth through real estate investing, 1st, 2nd or 3rd home loans, and what their favorite cup of coffee is with a shout out to Mike Herson, Congressional Insurance Associates.

MISCONCEPTIONS OF OWNING YOUR OWN HOME

So many people are reluctant to get into the real estate market. Maybe you hey saw your parents struggle during the 2008 financial crisis, maybe you’re bogged down with student loans?  Or maybe you are feeling footloose and fancy free, and don’t want to be held down by home ownership?

Erin discusses how all of these ideas are misconceptions to home ownership and building wealth. She provides a reality check to clients so you’re not getting in too deep financially. Wonder what it takes to purchase a $400,000 house?

RENT VS OWN, PROS AND (not many) CONS

Get the scoop on what it takes to purchase your first home. Then build equity to move up to your next primary residence. There are so many tax benefits and other benefits to purchasing a home. Stop renting and get off the fence! Get into real estate ownership!

DON’T STOP NOW!

More about How To Build Wealth With Real Estate here.

Ready to talk to a pro? Click here to get started.

Contact Erin Finke at erin@theyiteam.com, and Alex Ross at www.rossrem.com.

MORE ABOUT COFFEE AND JAM

Coffee and Jam is a weekly podcast discussing all things about real estate, mortgages and home ownership.