We recently bought a “new to us” house in the North Dallas area within the last couple of months. Walking through the home during that first visit we began taking mental and verbal notes of the items that might be “deal breakers”. One of the first things we noticed was carpet in multiple rooms throughout. We immediately marked that as an item that needed to be addressed but one that could be included with larger renovations in the next few months.

One thing we felt we weren’t able to do often at our previous home is host larger gatherings of friends and family. I can easily count on one hand the amount of times there was a gathering larger than 5 families. Now, I feel we have almost matched that number in 2 months. Cue Brandon the “shoe police” standing at the front door playing the part of welcoming host while struggling with my focus…okay fear…of ensuring everyone kicks off the shoes.

Thinking about buying a home? Or maybe refinancing to get cash out to pay for home renovations? Who do you use and who will close the loan on time?? In this episode I sit down with Tony Ferrari, a local mortgage lender in North Texas, to discuss the difference in big box lenders like Rocket Mortgage and whether or not it makes more sense to go with a local lender that is a trusted partner of your Realtor.

In this episode I sit down with Crystal DeBacker, a Realtor that made the decision to pursue this passion full-time around the same time as myself. Right out of the gates she was making million dollar land deals and I wanted to find out her secret to make it happen! She wanted to focus on both single family residential and commercial all at the same time, and it has really paid off...hear why she made the decision and what she's learned along the way!

Have you been told that the only smart way to buy a home is to put down 20% or more? In this episode of Real Estate, Simplified I sit down with Melissa Condensa, Mortgage Loan Originator at Guild Mortgage, to discuss the wide variety of mortgage options at each and every consumers' fingertips! If you think your only options are FHA or Conventional loans, or you think the only way you can afford a home is by saving a crazy amount while never going out to eat or taking vacations...this episode is for you! Learn how to get creative, get into that first home or take steps toward your first investment property, and MOST IMPORTANTLY stop wasting your hard earned money on rent payments.

The current housing market reminds me of the walk up to the newest roller coaster at Six Flags. It’s the only thing that has been on your mind the last few days and the only thing all your friends and family want to talk about. It looks like an incredible opportunity for some, while others begin to break out in a cold sweat hoping that it will start raining so the ride will be cancelled. The current state of the market poses challenges for many aspiring homeowners. Seriously, who can (or most importantly, WANTS to) pay for a home with a 7.125% interest rate. Full disclosure, we bought a home in December 2022 with a 7.49% interest rate, so I feel your pain. You can make the same case for homeowners.