The Applied Mortgage Community Show

Coming up the first weekend in December, Easthampton's Old Town Hall will be the place to find your one-of-kind holiday gifts. On Friday, December 2 from 5-8 pm, stop by for Art Walk Easthampton featuring a pop-up shop in the Blue Room, Art is a Gift in Easthampton City Arts and Big Red Frame will host over 20 artists and artisans selling unique works. While you are there, don't miss the tour of the future 350-seat performing arts venue on the 2nd floor of the historic building. On Sunday, December 4 from 11am to 5pm, return to Old Town Hall for more holiday finds at A Winter Market with another 20 artists selling handmade goods at this seasonal pop-up market plus onsite tarot readings! Follow @cityspace413 on Facebook and Instagram or visit cityspaceeasthampton.org.

The frequent changes in interest rates make it trickier than ever for homebuyers to establish a budget and know what assistance programs out there can help them get into a new home. In this episode, join Lindsay Barron LaBonte and special guests as they discuss the MassDreams Grant and Down Payment Assistance Programs out there so that you can have all your questions answered by your trusted local mortgage company Applied Mortgage.

Meghan from Delap Real Estate texted me asking if I had been getting lots of questions about the Fed rate hikes and said she noticed a lot of people were sounding the alarms on social media. So I thought it would be fun to bring Meg onto the podcast and have her ask me the questions she was seeing LIVE. We discuss what the Federal Funds Rate actually is, how it impacts mortgage rates, and what impact this all has on home prices and the housing market. Meghan McCormick Website: https://meghanmccormick.com/ Meghan McCormick Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeghanMccormickwithDelap/

Lindsay interviews Nick Stoddard from Liberty Mutual. If you're a homeowner, it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest homeowners insurance hacks. In this episode, we'll share some tips on how to save money on your policy and get the best coverage for your needs. Learn more about Nick: https://www.libertymutual.com/insurance-agent/massachusetts/springfield-018d/nicholasstoddard Nick's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NickStoddardLM/

Lindsay interviews Ryan Footit, loan officer on our team at Applied Mortgage, and Heather Blais, Realtor with The Blais Group at Gallagher Real Estate, to debunk some myths about VA Mortgages and best prepare VA buyers in this market! Learn more about Heather: https://www.gogallagher.com/agents/heather-blais/ Learn more about The Blais Group: https://www.facebook.com/TheBlaisGroupEmpire

Lindsay interviews Matt LaCoille the Development Director at Look Park. Meet Matt and learn about the history of the Park and ways you can participate or give. Don't forget to get your ticket for the Look Park Summer Celebration Auction, which is back in person this year! Presented by Tommy Car Auto and featuring food from Local Burger plus over 170 auction items! Learn more: https://www.lookpark.org/auction/ Look Park Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lookpark01062

Lindsay interviews Jennifer Ewers, Insurance Agent, Finck & Perras Insurance who provides some great information for folks looking to buy a new home and set up their insurance policy. Jennifer Ewers Website: www.insuringyourway.com Jennifer Ewers Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinckandPerrasInsuranceAgency Applied Mortgage Website: https://www.appliedmortgageteam.com/

Lindsay interviews Lou Davis of Davis Financial who teaches us some basic financial planning principles and helps us understand the best time to involve a financial planner - hint, the time is now! Past performance is no guarantee of future performance or market conditions. Please note: Some of the testimonials in this podcast may not be representative of the experiences of other customers. Investment advisory and financial planning services are offered through representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer (Member FINRA and SIPC). Branch Address: 10 Bay Road, Hadley, MA 01035. Davis Financial Group, LLC is not an affiliate or subsidiary of MML Investors Services, LLC or its affiliated companies. Davis Financial Group Website: www.davisfinancialgrp.com Davis Financial Group Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/TheDavisFinancialGroup

Micki Sanderson with Delap Real Estate is back on the show to review the standard Offer to Purchase form.  Both buyers and sellers can benefit from learning the typical conditions on the offer form and be best prepared to negotiate home sales in the current market. Mass Association of Realtors Contract to Purchase Real Estate Form: https://www.amortgage.com/xSites/Mortgage/AlexanderMortgageCorp/Content/UploadedFiles/contract%20to%20purchase.pdf Micki L. Sanderson: Cell: (413) 265-0061 | Office: (413) 586-9111 | Micki@delaprealestate.com

Lindsay interviews Samantha & Brian, the owners of Caminito Steakhouse in Northampton. They share their experience as restaurant owners navigating the pandemic, their resilience, and some silver linings. https://caminitosteakhouse.com/ Our listeners can support restaurants like Caminito through the Downtown Northampton Association & Northampton Chamber 413 Let's Go Out: Dine Out/Take Out initiative this Spring: https://www.413letsgoout.com/

Lindsay interviews Meghan McCormick who gives us some tips and tricks to be a prepared seller! Inventory is low and it is a seller's market - now is the time to sell! Meghan McCormick Website: https://meghanmccormick.com/ Meghan McCormick Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeghanMccormickwithDelap/ Applied Mortgage Website: https://www.appliedmortgageteam.com/

Lindsay interviews Brandon O'Donnell who teaches us some important information to be aware of when claiming mortgage-related items on your tax returns, as well as some updates to the 2021 tax laws. Boisselle, Morton & Wolkowicz, LLP: https://www.bma-cpas.com/splash Brandon O'Donnell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-j-o-donnell-1090a627 Applied Mortgage Website: https://www.appliedmortgageteam.com/

If you're thinking about buying a home, it's important to understand the different contingencies in a purchase contract. In this episode, Lindsay talks with Attorney Nick Grimaldi about what purchase contract contingencies are and why they're important. This episode will help you understand the basics of real estate contracts and how to protect yourself as a buyer.

This week, Lindsay and Micki Sanderson discuss the best practices for being a prepared buyer in today's market. Micki presents us with some current local market statistics - The reality is that we've been in a seller's market since 2012 and inventory has only tightened since the pandemic. Now more than ever it is important to have clear goals and as Micki says take a "no regrets & no remorse" approach! Micki L. Sanderson: Cell: (413) 265-0061 Office: (413) 586-9111 Email: Micki@delaprealestate.com

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a non-profit organization that pairs kids with adult mentors to help them succeed in life. In this podcast interview, Lindsay chats with Susan Nicastro and Ann Walsh of Big Brothers Big Sisters Hampshire County and Ryan Footit of Applied Mortgage, a BBBS volunteer, about the upcoming event, The Daffodil Run. The 12th Annual Daffodil Run for BBBS is back as an in-person event! Join us at the Amherst Town Common on Sunday, April 24th, 2022 (virtual options available too!) Registration opens at 8:30am, festivities begin at 9am, and the race begins at 10am! It's time to gather together and join your neighbors as we celebrate our community and raise essential funds for mentoring services for youth in our area! Register at this link: https://www.runreg.com/daffodilrun To participate virtually, just register at the link above, and then plan your own course! You can run or walk your 5K/10K wherever you are, anytime between April 16th-23rd. Document your participation by sending a photo or video of your run or walk to bbbshc@chd.org by 11:00am on Sunday, April 24th. You can also post your photo/video on our Facebook event page at this link. #KeepKidsConnected Our mission of creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships to ignite the power and promise of youth does not decrease because of a pandemic. In fact, the stresses that our children are facing in the midst of this national emergency only increase the need for connection with a mentor. Please help make this event as successful as ever! The Daffodil Run for Big Brothers Big Sisters is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we count on the revenue from this event to continue our service to our kids, their families, and their mentors. Help us reach our fundraising goal of $50,000 for our Bigs and Littles! If you would like to sponsor the Daffodil Run for Big Brothers Big Sisters or have any questions, please email Ann Walsh, Event Director, at: awalsh@chd.org For more information, visit: https://chd.org/daffodil-run/