Let's Talk Real Estate

Interest is the only thing that seems to interest buyers and sellers these days. Will the interest rates affect sales? How about my purchasing power? How high will interest rates climb? Will this cause a housing bust? Regular and super knowledgeable guest Dan Coffey joins us again today to share his insights and provide info about today’s rates, where he sees them going tomorrow, and why they’re not - and won’t be - where they were yesterday. Whether you’re a buyer wondering if you should “wait it out” until the next housing bust or a seller wondering if now is a good time to list, this episode is definitely one to listen to.

Property management: not the sexiest topic in real estate, but definitely a big component of it. Today, Susan McQuillan, V.P./North Central Region at Watson Realty Corp’s Property Management Division, joins us to discuss property management and what it involves. From securing tenants to managing leases to calling a plumber when there’s a toilet issue, property managers do it all. With a shortage of inventory, rising rental prices, tenant and landlord laws changing, and with large apartment complexes absorbing so much of the rental market, she also addresses the impact that those factors have had on investors and also how they’re affecting sales of investment properties.

Homeowners insurance can affect homeownership in ways well beyond what we may think. Today, John Darr joins us again…you may remember him from season two. He owns Darr Schackow insurance in Gainesville, and he gives us the scoop today about where we are in terms of homeowners insurance, what we can expect for the upcoming year, and what that means for current and future homeowners. You’ll definitely want to listen to this episode because it’s much more important than you might think! Plus, John makes it interesting so it’s also less boring than you might think.

This week we have part 2 of our conversation with Dan Coffey with Ameris Bank. On this episode, Dan walks us through everything related to renovation loans, and with the current housing market this may be the best way to go if you’re wanting to make some renovations. Dan will also be talking to us about loans for Medical Professionals, which aren’t just for doctors but for medical professionals of almost any type. If you missed part 1 of our conversation about mortgage lending with Dan, take a listen to S3 EP9: Let’s Talk Mortgage Lending with Dan Coffey!

Over a 44-year career in this industry, Dan Coffey has maintained a single focus - to use his knowledge and expertise to assist people navigate the complexities of the mortgage process. He is proud to be part of such an important milestone in a client's life, and he strives to make the homebuying process a joyful experience because it should be. On this episode of Let’s Talk Real Estate, Dan walks us through the history and all the caveats of mortgage lending. Did you miss when we had Dan on Season 1 of Let’s Talk Real Estate? On episode 16 of Season 1, Dan gives us a rundown on gift funds to be used as a downpayment on your home purchase: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-ep16-lets-talk-down-payment-gift-money/id1497225744?i=1000474694704

Jovi Richards is a Richmond, VA native and knows that market inside and out. After graduating from UVA, she spent several years working with children with autism. However, after having her first daughter she realized that she needed more flexibility and the opportunity to earn more for her family so she decided to become a real estate agent. Working part-time for a couple of years beforehand, Jovi jumped in with both feet in March 2020...what a decision that turned out to be! With resilience and grit, and the goal of working smarter and not necessarily harder, Jovi leveraged strong relationships she had forged throughout the years with industry professionals and she was able to start procuring off market opportunities for her buyers at a time when listings were nearly impossible to find. In an era when multiple offers were the norm, Jovi helped her clients buy homes without engaging in bidding wars and allowed sellers to sell their properties without the fear of having droves of people walk through their homes in the midst of a pandemic. Jovi has extensive knowledge of the real estate market all throughout the central Virginia region, and she specializes in The Fan, Byrd Park, North Side, Tuckahoe/West Henrico, and Chesterfield. Connect with Jovi on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jovisoldit and tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jovisoldit_

Retiring or having a second home along the Florida coast has always been a fantasy for many. However, permanently fleeing to Florida from states like New York and California has become common practice in the last year and a half. With miles of beaches within walking distance, beautiful year-round weather, and the ability to jump on a boat and cruise the Atlantic at will, buyers from several other luxury markets are flocking in droves to make Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and the Palm Beaches home for good. Vickie Arcuri, who has been in the real estate industry since the great recession and has therefore seen a thing or two happen in the South Florida market during the past 15 years is nearly as shocked as the rest of us about the über-booming market. Condos with multi-million dollar units are selling so fast that developers can’t keep up with the demand. Single family homes are harder to come by than ever. Beachfront property is almost impossible to find. Even rentals are subject to multiple offers! Today, Vickie shares her insights about the market, what’s driving it, predictions as to what the future holds, and why she loves living and promoting the South Florida lifestyle. Connect with Vickie at: https://www.vickierealestate.com/ and on instagram at @vickierealestate

The Miami real estate market is hotter than ever, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Dozens of years ago foreign investors took notice and since then Miami hasn’t stopped growing, and beautiful beaches and year-round sun have turned it into the go-to spot during the pandemic. With developments as impressive as a luxury condo tower by Aston Martin to multi-million dollar mansions on the bay, Tyler Anderson has seen it all despite his relatively short time in Miami. Born into a Boston real estate family, Tyler didn’t take over the family business and instead chose to pursue his dreams. From working at Disney to repping major developers in Dallas to embracing the luxury single family home market in Miami, Tyler shares his experiences and the importance of making connections. Connect with Tyler at: https://www.graberrealty.com/agents/tyler-anderson/

Monika Nielsen has been in this industry for 25 + years and she has helped hundreds of women clear their closet and discover (or rediscover!) their style. Whether it’s your closet or wardrobe, she can get you to a place where you can breathe again…finding peace in your space and being excited to start the day. Monika will walk you through the mental gymnastics of a Cleanse and Edit, help you Clarify your style and give you tools to Capsulate your wardrobe. Her goal for you is to help you be able to get ready in 10 minutes, feeling amazing with clothing that you know fits you well and you look good in. Walking out the door, you will feel confident and fierce, ready to walk into any room and command the meeting, show up at the party, close the deal or make a new friend. Connect with Monika at @monikanielsenysr and www.atyourstylerehabist.com

Mark Morgan started Resolution Estimate because for a long time, he saw a need for real estate agents, buyers, and sellers to obtain accurate information quickly in regards to inspection items, repairs, or alterations to a home they are selling or seeking to purchase. Traditionally the realtor, seller, or buyer would contact various contractors or tradespeople to try to get estimates for these items. Contractors and tradespeople often don’t have time, don’t want to make time, or have other valid concerns about providing an estimate for an item on a home when they know the inquirer is looking more for pricing information than to actually hire them for the work. Knowledgeable contractors and tradespeople have little motivation to provide accurate information in this situation. Mark has seen firsthand where agents, buyers, and brokers spend a lot of time trying to find anyone willing to answer their questions and then make important decisions that are based on inaccurate, half-hearted information. His vision for Resolution Estimate is to save significant time for agents, sellers, buyers, contractors, and tradespeople, and to quickly provide accurate & impartial information that is critical to making quality real estate decisions. For more information visit Resolution Estimate at https://resolutionestimate.com/ Instagram: @resolutionestimate

Chaitrali “Chai” Karve is the Director of Business Development at Golden Gate Global, which is a firm specializing in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. In 1990, Congress created the EB-5 Program to stimulate the economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors. In 1992, Congress created the Immigrant Investor Program, also known as the Regional Center Program, which sets aside EB-5 visas for participants who invest in commercial enterprises associated with regional centers approved by USCIS based on proposals for promoting economic growth. Chai, who is an immigrant herself and a licensed real estate agent in Florida with over two decades of experience with commercial and residential real estate ventures, learned about the EB-5 program and knew that she wanted to help educate others about it, both domestically and in countries worldwide. Today, she educates us about the program’s significance and how both immigrants and the U.S. benefit from it.

Charles Velasco is co-team leader of the Velasco Team at RE/MAX in Sacramento, California, and has sold multi-millions and worked with hundreds of buyers and sellers during his short real estate career. Today, he’s on track to be one of his area’s mega agents. You can credit much of his success to his disciplined lifestyle, his family’s encouragement and support, and his robust digital presence. With an impressive Instagram following, a YouTube channel, a podcast, and more, Charles attributes a lot of his success to his online presence. His authenticity makes him relatable and likeable, and his success makes him admirable.

Jamie Gould’s roots are set in concrete...a family concrete business, that is. With years of experience in the construction industry and with a passion for helping homeowners to renovate and build, Jamie left the corporate world and started his own consulting business, ContraFaba, which helps homeowners, architects, and contractors manage their costs so that the process runs smoothly and - more importantly - on budget from beginning to end. His natural ability to network coupled with a sense of adventure, have (along with his partner) inspired him to move from his native England and plant roots in the eco-mecca of Costa Rica. With construction costs rising and busy homeowners wanting a change but lacking the time to manage major projects, Jamie will likely find himself traveling the globe as he helps clients from the Americas to the EU, and beyond.

Congratulations! You have a beautiful home or a great portfolio of investment properties...or both. That means you have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in major assets that need constant management, from general maintenance to inventory for insurance purposes. Do you know how much time and money you’re spending on property-related tasks? Tech entrepreneur Elizabeth Dodson didn’t know, either, and she was over it. So, she co-founded HomeZada, a cloud-based digital home management platform that helps you do just that. Today, she discusses 6 Mistakes That Homeowners Make And How to Best Prevent Them, as well as the app that changed the game for her and for thousands of homeowners and investors.

At the helm of commercial lending brokerage firm Clopton Capital since its founding in 2010, Jake Clopton has worked on hundreds of transactions involving everything from apartment buildings to self storage facilities. Based in Chicago, the firm works with clients nationwide and focuses on private investors whose loans typically range from $1-$40 million. Clopton Capital helps these small to middle market entities invest in commercial, industrial, and multifamily real estate that includes a multitude of property types, including factories, warehouses, mobile home parks, self storage facilities, retail malls, and offices. Jake shares not only how Clopton Capital works with these entities to secure financing, but also how the process works, how Covid has impacted the commercial mortgage industry, and where he thinks it’s headed.

Italy’s Le Marche region, by all accounts, sounds like a fairytale. With Medieval castles and villages and the stunning Apennine Mountains outlined by stretches of pebbled beaches on the Adriatic Sea, this little-known - but quickly growing - region on Italy’s east coast rivals its larger and better-known sister cities in geographic beauty, charm, and history. A train ride or quick flight from Rome or Milan, and just a ferry ride away from Croatia, its proximity to new and old tourist destinations is fueling its popularity among Europeans, who have found it to be a terrific place to purchase a second home or vacation during the summer months. Andrea Mattetti of Engel and Völkers Civitanova Marche joined us to discuss his beautiful town, how Americans can buy a piece of the dream, and why now is a great time to do it.

We crossed the pond this week and headed to London to talk to Tarek Merlin, who is Director and Co-Founder of Feix&Merlin Architects. We initially connected with Tarek on TikTok, where he takes us Behind Closed Doors of some very cool buildings that the public wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. A proponent of renovating and repurposing old buildings and maintaining both a structure’s and a neighborhood’s character, Tarek designs for the present with the past - and the future - in mind. His stunning work spans the residential and commercial spectrum, as well as cities far beyond London and outside the U.K. He says he’s interested in designing in Gainesville, and we’ll happily take him up on that!

James Blythe, Principal at Gainesville-based LEVEL Architecture + Interiors, chatted with us about the importance of user-centric design, repurposing old buildings, and the changes that they’re seeing in commercial design projects since the beginning of 2020. With a special place in his heart for a decrepit furniture store-turned-ax throwing establishment that has gained surprising popularity during the pandemic, he shares why sustainable design and repurposing is so important for our communities.

It’s almost like every article or podcast about real estate is on repeat: it’s a seller’s market...multiple offers...bidding wars...etc, etc, etc. Home prices are up, demand is higher than ever before, and it feels like inventory couldn’t be lower these days (because it’s never been!). The housing situation wasn’t this competitive a year ago, so what in the world is going on? Today, we dive into what has caused the housing demand frenzy during pandemic-fueled financial uncertainty and how this housing boom is different than the one that led to the financial crisis of 2008. Plus, we throw in some tips about what buyers can do to be competitive during an inevitable bidding war. Now, let’s go write an offer!

In the midst of the pandemic, dental hygienist, mom, and military wife, Kristyn Gavazzi, decided to change careers and jump into the world of real estate. Admittedly naive about what it takes to actually be a real estate professional, Kristyn has quickly learned and has used her network, authenticity, and tenacity to hit the ground running. Since her start in January 2021, Kristyn has done more than many who have been in the industry for years. Today, she took time between contracts to chat about why she loves the Ft. Bragg and Southern Pines area of North Carolina and why relocation is one of her passions. With some major goals in sight, this rookie will undoubtedly reach - and then exceed - even her own expectations.