The Alimond Show

Missy Walden - Realtor

• Alimond Studio

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Navigating the real estate market can be a complex maze, especially for our military families who are often on the move. But fear not, because we've got the insights you need to tackle these challenges head-on. Join me as I sit down with a realtor who not only has a wealth of experience in the field but also shares the personal journey of a military spouse. Together, we unpack the secrets to securing the perfect home without the burden of heavy down payments, and the power of maintaining that irreplaceable human touch in an increasingly automated industry. Our conversation is a toolkit for anyone looking to buy or sell, with a spotlight on the heroes among us who deserve a place to call home.

Haunted houses and historical homes aren't just the stuff of storybooks; they come with their own set of real-world buying and selling challenges. That's why in this episode, we delve into the peculiarities of properties that carry the weight of their pasts. We discuss how the unique history and character of a home can be both a selling point and a hurdle, requiring respect and understanding. Whether you're a first-time buyer or a seasoned investor, this episode is packed with anecdotes, advice, and the importance of community connections that go beyond the transaction.

Choosing the right real estate agent is like picking a partner for one of life's most significant journeys—homeownership. We dissect what sets apart the best in the business, from their communication skills to their ability to navigate the needs of clients from all walks of life, including our valued veterans. This episode doesn't just give you the lowdown on VA loans and veteran homeownership advocacy; it's a heartfelt call to stand with those who've stood for us. Tune in as we lay out the blueprint for finding a home and a real estate ally who'll champion your dream every step of the way.

Speaker 1:

Well, first, I am a realtor, but I'm really more than anything kind of a military wife dependent. I grew up in the military and my husband also, so our passion is serving the soldier because I really feel like they kind of get left behind and they have to move. They're not moving by choice, so I really feel like a lot of times, people don't One second.

Speaker 2:

I just want to make sure. Oh, your mic is on. I'm sorry it is it's. I didn't see the green lamp, but it's in your shirt. I just wanted to make sure. Okay, sorry about that. I feel like people don't.

Speaker 1:

They've been discriminated against big time over the last couple years because they don't have $80,000 or $100,000 to put down over or in a VA loan. You don't have to put anything down. So anyway, that's kind of my passion. I've been an agent since 2006 and I feel like my boots on the ground experience are invaluable. If you don't select that, you're crazy. What is the name of?

Speaker 2:

your business? Is it just your?

Speaker 1:

name. I'm from the Walden team and we're with EXP. Where can people find you? The best branch, probably Facebook, is the Stoddard Walden is my personal page, which I love more on the personal side because people get to see our world exactly in a person, as a person.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's always good to get to know the face behind the business and what they stand for and how we align with them. What factors do you think are important for real estate agents to have when they're helping people buy and sell homes?

Speaker 1:

Well, I think they're two different things. You can sell a home and I can sell a home anywhere here where I'm licensed, but I think working with a buyer is huge. If you, when you work with a buyer, you have to know the coffee shop, yet you know the schools, you have to understand different subdivisions, what they offer, I just feel like I don't like to come here. I wouldn't come here to represent a buyer. I would find the best agent here in town for my folks and I would refer because I just feel like that's so important to have the experience of living in the community. I can sell a home. We're marketing people, we love marketing and that's kind of our passion for that. But yeah, working with a buyer is a whole different ballaxe.

Speaker 2:

All right, good to know. You said you love marketing. Are you incorporating any new technologies to your systems? Yes, she sees bags under my eyes.

Speaker 1:

Stop. I got them too, girl, because at night I'm just like, oh my god, this is so cool. You start scrolling and you see crazy, oh, yes. So of course, you know, using chat gpt is huge. I hate when people just cut and paste it, though you really put your own person in it. I agree. I think it's an amazing opportunity for people that are not. They may be their English, like.

Speaker 1:

My business partner is from Dominican Republic. He's very strong, obviously, but Spanish, yes, but so he uses a lot of chat gpt. Just, I think it gets you over that hump if you can't think and like, oh, I'll just figure out that tomorrow. No, drop something in chat gpt, let them help you initiate your excitement for the subject. So that is huge. We I stood in a group in the morning. It's mastermind, it's an international mastermind, so it's kind of cool. I hear what everybody's doing all over the world and I think we've gone back to relationships right now yeah we all have this amazing database of 10,000 people, but how many of those people know you really and who?

Speaker 1:

I think we've all lost our communication art to sit and visit with somebody face to face. You know emails. You know everyone's texting. I just feel like going back to the basics and loving on our people that are in the database and just letting them know we care it's a birthday or their dog's birthday or the day we bought the house together. We helped them close on it. I think that those who are going back to the basics is huge.

Speaker 2:

I agree. I feel like we get lost in our instant gratification of texting and just DMing somebody or tweeting whatever you want to call it, and people forget, like face to face interaction, getting to know somebody, looking somebody in the eye, shaking somebody's hand, does get lost in all that craziness but there are ups and downs to it, but we just got to find a way to navigate, a way that's not so cold.

Speaker 1:

You know, like what you said, I think you can't put all your eggs on one basket right there. You know, if everybody's on Instagram, what happens if Instagram takes down all of your content? Your host, yeah, you know. So I think, going back to the basics of just an email, we put out a missing moments email every week. We pick a dog that needs to be brought home and out of the shelter and we try to do things that are not all real estate related. You know, it's like maybe who's having a beer fest, or you know, just something that is very generic but yet community driven okay, and as far as the community driven events that you have for veterans, what do you like to?

Speaker 2:

what do you like to do? I?

Speaker 1:

think we have to educate. We have to educate. I feel like that's where my role is in life right now, you know, because we are here to mentor and to just really help everybody not fall into the same pitfalls that have been affected our veteran families, our military families, year after year after year. And there's scams, you know. There's the big lenders, the three big lenders for the military, yeah, and they're all corporate. They're just corporate. They don't care about the human being. Part of it. You're a 1-800 dial me up Monday through Friday number and you become you're just a number, a commodity in their machine, and I hate it.

Speaker 1:

So I really feel like it's so important to educate the VA loan user so they understand all the cool things that they have. But you need to have a local lender that's in the community, that is invested in the community, that's their invested in you and when you seem a giant, they're not going to want to go hide behind the stereo.

Speaker 1:

They're going to want to give you a hug because you're a part of the family that as a military family you don't have that. You have your squadron that you're a part of, maybe, but because you move so many times, I feel like it's really hard to get and be a part of an actual local community. I've had military wives tell me oh, I don't want to, I don't want to do that, I really don't want to make friends because we're just going to leave. That's heartbreaking. I'm like are you kidding me? Yes, so I just feel like that's our thing. We really have to educate and bring them all together so they can understand what they have together.

Speaker 2:

So and what kind of resources are you using to help educate people? Are you on social media? Are you Absolutely yeah? Tell me about the things that you share. I'm the bad girl. Oh, why are you?

Speaker 1:

a bad girl Share. I feel like people are not telling people the truth, like I did a short yesterday. Just on, somebody called me and said hey, mrs Walden, we need a rent to own, or I want to do a rent to own. I understand that I can pay a certain amount each month and that we can get locked into the sale price and with the market always, really, our market is just going to continue to go up. So it's such a scam. It's a marketing tool for somebody to get someone to call them and they're like oh yeah, you know we really don't have any of those right now, but we have this. And even a lot of times rent to owns, they're drawn in, but the person's marketing it is not even the homeowner. Oh, they don't really own the home. You know what I mean. They're just diverting, trying to say, hey, this house is on the market when it really isn't.

Speaker 2:

Oh my goodness, how did you find out about this Like? How are you like we live it?

Speaker 1:

Well, I mean, we have people call and say hey, I see that you have this house for rent and what they've done is they've taken my for sale listing and they've turned it into a rental listing and put it out there. And then they tell people it's like hey, you know you can't get into it right now, it's occupied for another two weeks. Go ahead and send us your $1,000 deposit money order to some weird address. So they go ahead and send their money to this, but yet the house will never be available. Oh, my goodness, that's just for me. But those are things and the people will call me. They keep my phone number on it, so they'll call me and they'll say hey, I see you in my thousand bucks. You know when do we get a chance to? When do we want us to do the lease or the application?

Speaker 2:

No, oh my goodness, that's bad. I didn't even know that was a thing, or going on. So I'm glad that people who are listening look for some. What are some red flags when you come up with this stuff?

Speaker 1:

I think well, for one thing, what I would do is just kind of double check to make sure the house isn't for on the market for sale.

Speaker 2:

Like look for it online, like on Google, look it up or just even the big Z.

Speaker 1:

you know we will be not fans, yeah. Yeah, I think even the big Z does things to generate leads for the agents. You know, we pay basically for our own listings to come back to us. You know, but they don't refer back to us. So a lot of times I think people will defer to that as a resource, but their parties are not always reliable.

Speaker 1:

They're not reliable, so call. I mean, the most important thing I really feel like people need to do is find it trusted local real estate agent, a real tour that actually has experience. I think during COVID everybody got their license Because they had time to sit home and take their tests and study up for it. So I always tease them like all the great bartenders in town have their real estate license. You really need to go back to making the great craft. Yes, cocktail, yes, the ones, the two-z ones. They kill us because they really don't know the profession. They don't know how to write a contract.

Speaker 1:

I had a kid the other day. He sent me the home inspection. I said, okay, do you have the home inspection contingency? He goes oh, I didn't know I had to do that.

Speaker 1:

I've never had because I never had to do that because you never got to negotiate appraisals, you didn't get to negotiate home inspections, you didn't get to negotiate any contingencies for your buyer over the last couple of years. So now it's coming full circle and you really do have that opportunity. But if you don't know your trade and you don't know your documents and you don't know how to keep everybody out of jail.

Speaker 2:

Oh man, you can go ugly. Whew, that's scary. A lot of pressure there. So they say I don't look good in orange. So what do you do? Dulles me out a little bit and not good enough. No, you look great in this Nice brown blazer here you got. Yes, you're welcome. And then how important is it for you to establish and keep that relationship with your clients? It's huge.

Speaker 1:

Tell me I'm so bad Again, I get like in the bad girl. I think sometimes You're not. I try to scarf up the people who like if the we have the listing, we, my sellers, sell the house. I always try to take care of the buyers too.

Speaker 1:

So we try to get their information and put them in our database. But I just think that, yeah, you have to stay. You know, and really we put a postcard out that says are you an orphan? Because so many of the agents almost 60% of the agents that got their license over the last two years, have stepped away because they weren't making any money. Because, just like all your other guests said, we have no inventory. So if you don't have inventory and you can't sell, the house you can't even maybe make enough to pay your dues.

Speaker 1:

So they've stepped away. So a lot of the purchasers of the last couple of years do not have representation anymore and you may just want somebody to paint, you know paint your walls.

Speaker 2:

Who's a great plumber?

Speaker 1:

Who's someone that maybe you has have that database of people that are great professionals to refer to. That's right, yeah, so you got to keep up with those people you got to love on them.

Speaker 2:

That's good to think about. That's something I don't think about with real estate agent. I feel like they're just so busy with like home stuff. But you got to know the whole community from a plumber to a painter to a florist. Like they look for you for guidance especially. We really want to be.

Speaker 1:

I want to be that person that is a referral. I'm a part of a 212 group, which is that it's 212 is a boiling point of water. Right, it'll be 211 and you don't get anything, any action. But at 212, you do, and it's just a local community referral group. So we're vetted, we know each other personally. So there's an insurance person, there's a investor guy, there's an enterprise or all these different people that we know personally, that we can always refer and know that they're going to take good care of our folks.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so it's great. I love that, and have you had any weird experiences with, like, selling a home or a buyer asking you like, is this house haunted, or can you tell me the history about this? Oh my gosh, anything crazy. I love it. Maybe live in Fredericksburg, right? Yes, a lot of haunted stuff.

Speaker 1:

Well, it's not some set up. You have to think like Culpepper, even you all. How many hands have been on that rail?

Speaker 2:

in that house. That was built in 1886?

Speaker 1:

How many boots have gone down the stairs. I sold a home of Culpepper and every time I walked in I just I knew it really wasn't by myself. Oh my goodness, I guess my goosebumps actually.

Speaker 1:

OK, so I would say hey, everybody, how's everybody going? You know, I mean, and you have to respect the core, the heart of a home. That way, you know, I just really feel like it's really super important for everybody to um, yeah, you have to be respectful, yeah, and when you get that feeling when you walk in a home, if you're not going to be happy there, it's not going to change.

Speaker 2:

Whoa.

Speaker 1:

So you just know, don't you? Yeah, when you, when you all bought your home, didn't you know, when you first walked in the door, that this was probably the house?

Speaker 2:

Not yet, but hopefully in the future.

Speaker 1:

But I just I think that that's a big deal. Yeah, truly is.

Speaker 2:

So I'm hoping to feel that one you will Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Soon that feeling nothing's going to get better.

Speaker 2:

That's what I keep hearing. Yes, knocking on some wood here. And then who are you outside of work? What do you like to do?

Speaker 1:

Oh, my gosh. I really, really enjoy walking. I am the walker. I'm FXBG. Walkers is our hashtag. What's that? Just at Fredericksburg Walker? Ah, and we have. I did the Camino. Do you know? Have you heard of the Camino?

Speaker 1:

No, I feel so like, well, it's in Spain. So we started in Portugal and a bunch of ladies that one of the needed, they needed a warm body. Somebody dropped out, so I dropped in and one of the ladies I went to high school with had invited me to do that. So we're all older and I thought I need two new knees. Probably down the road I thought before I have to have my knee needs done. This is something I've always wanted to do.

Speaker 1:

So anyway, we walked for seven days. You walk like 14 miles each day. You have a pack and we did cheat a little bit. We had our, we had a carrier. He took our suitcases from each spot. So each day we started in a new location and we walked all day long. We stopped and have. The first day they wanted to. They went like 18 miles. I'm like you guys, this is over. I was like doing that, I'm done. So I told them. I said I'm going to stop at lunchtime, I'm going to take my shoes off, I'm going to change shoes and socks, have a glass of wine and a sandwich and then we'll move on.

Speaker 1:

And these three of them were marathoners, so they're that mentality just going to put their head down and we're going to get there. So please look at the cows. Let me check the houses out, enjoy the moment.

Speaker 1:

You're going through the edges. Yeah, I mean it was such an exceptional experience in my life, I'm so glad I did it, and we met people from all over the world. Wow, a lot of single women. It was really interesting to me because you're walking in a foreign country with your pack yeah, you may not have a phone. Some people just wanted to totally be phone free Off the grid, which not for me, because I really want to take a lot of pictures and stuff yeah, but a lot of people do that track to center their heart again. You know they may have had something bad happen in their life and they just needed to be by themselves. So I mean, we met amazing people from all over the world and one young lady she saw my knee was killing me for the third day and I was just sitting on a wall just kind of taking some time. She goes. Do you know about kinetic taping? And I'm like I should.

Speaker 1:

I mean, I have 20 years in orthopedics, so I should know that and I thought I cannot believe my doctor forgot to tell me about that. He gives me a stupid brace. I mean a brace never stays in place.

Speaker 2:

No.

Speaker 1:

So when you're walking 14 miles each day. So anyway, she brought up, she pulled out this tape and she goes this is what I taught my mom. I'm thinking okay, is this a compliment?

Speaker 2:

or not.

Speaker 1:

No, I'll be the mom today, but she showed me how to tape on either side. We did a YouTube video and brought it up. So it was just amazing and you could keep that tape on for three days, okay. So this young lady I saw. We saw her each town, every town. We went to the people that I was with good Catholic so they wanted to hurry up and get there for mass. So we would go and we would attend mass and everything, and you kind of run into the same people the whole way through this trail and then, when we got to De Santiago, this is what made me really think about communicating. Here are all these people. Nobody knows each other other than they bonded over their trail walk.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And they're all hugging. This is a huge cathedral square.

Speaker 2:

How many people would you estimate were there? I?

Speaker 1:

mean thousands of people, you know, but they're all the people you wrapped your arms around through the whole track. Everybody was coming up giving each other a hug and I'm thinking I wish our United States leadership could be. We can't rush it. We're going to Spain and everybody can keep and come and really physically talk to each other.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, you get a chance to do it. You have to do it, I'll have to. Is it like a global thing where, like people just come, you don't have to be part of like no anything, okay, cool, I would love to do that one day.

Speaker 1:

It's very interesting, it's cool, and we sit in a different Airbnb each night. How do you even plan that? Well, you go with somebody who does plan. Okay, I was gonna say. And then, when I came back early, we went to Rome afterwards and I came back four days early.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and just went over. I had flown out of Norfolk, so I flew in to Norfolk and then we have a condo over at Cape Charles and I just like slept for two days. My neighbors are like, hey, girl, you okay? Hey, we're like, we saw you come in on Friday or you it's Sunday, are you okay? And I'm like, oh, my God, and I didn't really know where it was because we slept in a different bed every night, and I'm like they're like happy. I'm like give me 15 minutes, I'll be right, but it was an amazing experience.

Speaker 2:

It sounds like a good time. A lot of friendliness sounds like. I love that for you. International friendliness Okay, what a concept. Yeah, I can't even think about like who all is going to be there and if they're going to be nice to me, but it sounds like they were nice Everybody knew why you were there.

Speaker 1:

You knew why you were there. Everybody had a different mission for their walk?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, did you have a mission that you would want to share, or I think I just really?

Speaker 1:

wanted to do it. It's the one of those things you just have to do before you can't. That's right. And you said you have needs. Yeah, my life, I mean there's so many things. It's like I, you know, there's things that you just have to accomplish before you can't.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and I think, like I see, that with older folks they wait too long. You know they're in their lives. They wait too long before they maybe they need to downsize, but they're not downsizing and it's just overwhelming for them. So I think the same lesson learned, you know, just plan a little bit ahead. And I mean I had one family that the mom had all senders and she was walking, wandering the streets, you know, and pop would have to bring her back and then it just got out of control. So they decided to, she went ahead and they put her in assisted living and all pops wanted to do was be with her.

Speaker 1:

So the house was a mess. I mean it needed a lot. So I was able to play matchmaker with a Marine Corps family that was moving here from Okinawa and they had, I had sold their house and I'm like you guys, this is great deal, you're going to get a mess, be ready. But I knew that they could make it happen and so anyway, they bought the house site unseen, yeah, and they are in it now and Miss Laura has totally gutted that whole house. It's absolutely gorgeous. But at the end of all this, when everybody was out of the house, I was left with the dog I had, buster, because Buster could not go to assisted living, and I was like, are you kidding me? People have no clue. Some of the, some of the loose ends that we end up tying up. So we had to find a home for Buster.

Speaker 1:

So I mean it really just it tore me up. It was one of the hardest transactions that I've ever done.

Speaker 2:

Darn. Sounds like you get like really attached to some of these people and their stories, isn't it yeah?

Speaker 1:

it's a little story. It's not just a soul sign.

Speaker 2:

No.

Speaker 1:

You know, the house is a story, the home is a story, the family is a story. When you sell a house and they've got all their everybody's height, you know for 1975, 1980, you know the kids and it's on the inside, what do you do? You know, can you even paint over that? I don't want to paint over this, no, so I have people that cut it out and they put in a new molding, but they took that with them.

Speaker 2:

Oh, thank goodness. I was going to say I thought they threw it out, but no, they took it with, okay.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, home is a story, every one of them.

Speaker 2:

So how are you keeping up with the latest trends and developments in the real estate market as far as, like what houses people are looking for?

Speaker 1:

Wow, there are no houses. Well, no, I think I think people right now it's really funny because at the gym this morning I heard this discussion going on and this one kid is like I'm not going to afford, I'm not going to buy an old, crappy house. Well, really, do you want to start out in the house from mother and father, work 30 years to have? No, you have to be realistic. So really, at this point I think if there's something that comes on the market that is in the location that's going to work for you, it may need a lot, but you know what you got. To start somewhere. You have to start humbly. You can't start all that At the top yeah, because that's not how your parents got there.

Speaker 1:

So just settle. You have to settle. Make the house your own. Just make sure that the big dime things are in good working order. Your HVAC system In our area we have well and septic, so septic is a huge expense also. But just make sure you have that local boots on the ground experience agent that knows how to get you through these things that are going to be costly and maybe be able to negotiate a little bit for that. But you just can't start at the top, people You're going to have to settle and get grandma's old brick rambler. Hello, make it beautiful, make it yours, and then stay there for five or six years and then you can sell it maybe or keep it as an investment.

Speaker 2:

I'm going to tip actually, because a lot of times I think, even in my head I would be like I want to get like the newest, nicest, best thing I can get, but it's like, no, be realistic.

Speaker 1:

New construction is a really great deal. I think right now in our area, new construction is probably a really good investment because they are working to make it more affordable, loan wise. Plus, you get the new roof and you get the new HVAC system and things like that, whereas you're paying top dollar for a resale.

Speaker 1:

Check out new construction, true, and make sure and take a realtor with you because, the chick behind the desk at the model is representing the builder and, yes, they want you to be happy. They're going to give you a kudo bar and a soda, but that's not really representing you, so you do have to take representation.

Speaker 2:

Okay, noted, because you would think I'm just going to ask the front desk girl. But no, I always. I feel like I always see the best in people. I'm like not that they have ill intention toward me, but you know. Again, they're representing the person who's selling it.

Speaker 1:

And that's another big deal. Right now, everybody's going to the person who's a listing agent. Hello, you think that listing agent is going to represent you as fairly as they're going to represent their seller? Honestly, no, and if somebody does dual, it's called dual representation. When you do that, you're walking a fine line. Again, I don't look good in orange. I think it's a huge conflict of interest to do dual representation, but I do feel like it's coming down the road because buyer, buyer commission is in question big time.

Speaker 2:

Oh my goodness.

Speaker 1:

So I think people are going to forego having a buyer agency represent them and probably go straight to listing agent.

Speaker 2:

Well, something to think about for down the line. Scary yeah, it is scary. What advice would you give to first time buyers as far as looking for a great deal or what's the best price that they can get?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, there's no great deal.

Speaker 2:

Sorry.

Speaker 1:

Well, no great deal, I do feel like. Again, just going back to the representation, you have to have someone who has your, that is strong enough to advocate for you, that has a knowledge level to ask the right questions and not just throw baby under the bus because right now that's all it's financial. Everybody's like throwing as much money at the deal as possible, but it's not always the money. A lot of times it's the terms of the contract and he, as I understand it, to people who bought at the peak of the market the last two years, a lot of them felt like they had not been represented properly but, yet they had FOMO.

Speaker 1:

They had to have it. They wanted to win the deal. So they were bringing money even over the appraised value for going to home inspections, for going any contingency that they might would have in order to win. But if any of you all are out there and you want to sell, you have enough equity to sell. But be smart about it the second time around for sure Okay.

Speaker 2:

So there's, that tip for y'all Listen up, better listen.

Speaker 1:

It's an educational experience for sure, and you don't want to have a negative experience at all possible?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no, definitely not. That would be, I don't know, especially for first time buyers. I feel like once you have a negative experience, you're going to be next time you do that you're going to feel very like you know. It's just bad.

Speaker 1:

It really is and everybody's like. Well, first time home buyers are there, is there a first time home loan Is there, you know? And there really isn't. And again, just be smart. Whoever it is that is going to represent you, you can ask them to please print out their MLS production so you can see have they even sold the house Maybe the cutest kid on the block on Tik Tok, you know, and they may be able to fake it, but it's all about the experience. Anybody can pass a crazy test. It's really sad.

Speaker 1:

I feel like the bar of entry into the world of real estate is so low and it's just a lot of people should not be representing people because they're all about the commission. When the real estate agent needs to commission more than you need the house, it's going to go bad.

Speaker 2:

Oh man, why do you think it's that easy? Like I don't know much about, like the real estate industry in that sense, where like to take these tests, it's not that easy, I'm just saying the bar of entry.

Speaker 1:

It's like I really feel like they should make everybody. Because we're independent contractors, you're going to own your own business. You should have maybe have to pay $10,000. It's like buying a franchise. You have to be invested as a professional and know your stuff. So maybe if you invest financially you'll get educated so you will be able to grow your own business.

Speaker 2:

Dang Something to think about. So just because they have a Tik Tok doesn't mean that they know everything. Yes, Look at the credentials. The MLS make sure everything's legit. Yeah, Okay. So then what do you think are three qualities that people should look for in a real estate agent when they're tall and blonde? Come on now.

Speaker 1:

No, I think communication is huge. We do automatically ask how do you want to communicate? And again, I think your production. It's not the team's production, it's what is your production? How many people have you closed and then asked for personal references? I think Google has been pretty interesting to watch everybody's referrals or recommendations. If this person doesn't have a Google account, it's kind of scary or like we have a lot on Zillow. We have tons of recommendations on Zillow but, ask to maybe reach out to someone that they have service and just see, okay.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, okay, but as far as like character traits or anything like that, they have to be compassionate and they have to listen.

Speaker 1:

And I think myself I really try to put my feet in their boots, in their shoes, and just see and remember. I mean, hello, for us it's been you know, a billion years back before. That was our first purchase, our first home purchase. Yeah, but you have to again. The agent can't be hungry, or for their commission, Mm-hmm. Then you need the house.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1:

And then I really feel like that should be something that comes across. You'll know that you can tell what people have commissioned breath. I love these little words you say Are they commissioned breath or are they really invested in you? Mm-hmm, do they understand? And we send a questionnaire right off the bat. I send a questionnaire just so I can really understand. Try, I want them to talk to each other A lot of times. The husband and the wife, they're not on the same track. No, you know the woman. The wife is like oh, I'm gonna be happy with a townhouse, we just need to have a little yard out back to let the dog out. Husbands like maybe we want five acres.

Speaker 1:

I'm like y'all need to talk to each other. Yeah, that's so. Sending that questionnaire from both of them to answer really helps them center themselves again too. And you have to be able, once I have the basic questionnaire, I have that time that I can sit and discuss with them. You know, really, you guys, this is what's on the market. What do you really want? Okay, you know.

Speaker 2:

That's a good point, though, because how awkward is it when you are like, coming in and they're like I want this, no, but I want this, and it's just like, oh, this is awkward, you don't want to pick a side and then have them feel alienated, and I think a lot of agents.

Speaker 1:

you know, you, you're, we have lead generation that comes to us and you get the call and you like running gun. It's like, oh my God, I gotta go show this house. You know you don't ask some questions first. You know, and even in this market, even though it says that the listing is active, they may already be working two or three offers. So why would you go and show that house? So again, it goes down to communication. You have to call the listing agent and say, hey, you know you've been on the market for an hour. Do you have any contracts already? And a lot of times. But you know, a year or two ago and they were like, oh, absolutely, we've already had, you know, 15 showings in the first 15 minutes. So it's really you have to ask the agent, you have to communicate with the agent on the other side and I think your peer reputation, how you play in the sandbox, will win you a deal or lose you a deal If you're a poopy person who wants to do business with you?

Speaker 1:

Not anybody, sorry, no it takes the fun out of it. Everybody's so damn serious, and so you know, oh, I have to beat my chest. It's all about me, Well? No, it's not. No we all have the same mission. We all want to get to the same end goal, and it's for our clients.

Speaker 2:

Yeah exactly, so it'll make you feel good too, now being a poopy person.

Speaker 1:

Oh, people don't realize they're poopy people.

Speaker 2:

Well, realitychecktimecom, I think so too. We're not doing poopy here, the bathroom's over there. And then, um, I think we're gonna have to go to the bathroom. We're not doing poopy here, the bathroom's over there. And then, um, just to wrap things up here, if you could leave us with one message for our listeners, what would that be? It could be in regards to the world, family, veterans, life in general.

Speaker 1:

I'm just going to kind of leave it with the veteran in mind also, because I do feel like that's the biggest misconception for the vet who is putting down zero. You know, when you do a VA loan you really don't have to put down 3.5%, you don't have to put down anything. You can put down zero. But think about that Vet who has served, maybe taken a bullet for you, maybe has PTSD, maybe has something for our freedom.

Speaker 1:

That's why he has this opportunity to use that VA loan and the other thing you may get somebody who's putting down 100,000, but they emptied out their TSP, they've emptied out their savings account. And what happens if something goes bad in their life? Are they going to be able to do it for their mortgage Because they don't have a backup plan? My military folks have guaranteed job. They're not going to lose their position unless they really mess up bad.

Speaker 1:

They usually are very astute financially. They really are trying to, you know, save some money and make sure that they have a backup plan, because they never know when they're going to be transferred either. And then the other thing with a VA appraisal is the biggest bump in the road, especially for the Northern Virginia agents, and I don't mean to throw you all under the buck.

Speaker 2:

No, no, no.

Speaker 1:

I'll tell you what Northern Virginia agents have been very discriminatory towards our VA buyers.

Speaker 2:

Oh.

Speaker 1:

Well, you know we're not so sure if the appraisal is going to come in and you know there may be some things on the appraisal that my client doesn't want to fix because you do get. They're called lender-required repairs. So no matter what kind of loan it is, there may be lender-required repairs that pop up that the appraiser calls out, not the home inspector that the appraiser calls out. Well then it's negotiable who takes care of them. But the VA loan is the only loan. They have something called the Tidewater Act.

Speaker 1:

So if the loan actually comes in below contract value or if the appraisal comes in below contract value, you can challenge it. You can't challenge a conventional or an FHA appraisal, but on the VA you can certainly. And if you have priced that house properly and you understand the compsit that the appraiser is going to use, then you should have no issues with challenging it if it comes in low. So it's all about pricing the house properly. But for my vets I want to reach out to all of you, all, anybody that's here that's listening to us please give that person who served this country for your freedom, the opportunity to be a homeowner also. It's huge.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for being an advocate for them. We appreciate that. Thank you, maybe the first one to advocate for them and bring awareness, so thank you for that. We like to have all kinds of perspectives and different topics, so we appreciate that I think discrimination, no matter what, I mean people.

Speaker 1:

You have to look at it Not myopically. You have to open your eyes and your brains and your feet to be in someone else's shoes and I really feel like there was a tremendous amount of discrimination over the last two years for RVA buyers. Well here you go people.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, wake it up.