Consumer Education

 
This episode lumps together 4 episodes from the Real Estate Investing playlist on our YouTube channel. Catch these first four short episodes to get started, first with the logic and then to show how even with a modest income you can still build your retirement through real estate.
This 17-minute episode includes:
Good Buy, or Goodbye?
Creative Investing
Long Term Investments - Fact vs. Fiction
Turning Rental Income into Retirement Income.
Be sure to catch part two publishing next week.

Have you doubled your retirement fund this year? No one wants to get to retirement and realize they will run out of money before years. Or if they were honest, they may only have enough saved for a long vacation or small car, but not enough to be secure and continue to live their life as they want. In fact, the median American has only $33,472 saved for retirement. THAT ISN'T ENOUGH Did you know that the average homeowner in America gained $35,000 in appreciation during the last year? Add that to their retirement account and they just doubled their retirement savings. THAT'S the POWER of Real Estate.
Join me every Tuesday at 8 am MT on Facebook and Instagram as I go LIVE to discuss opportunities like this. Money may not buy you happiness but it can create opportunities to create a life you love.

Let's go through some of the facts and fiction of purchasing a brand new home. Let's start out with one that tends to be the main selling point for new builds. You can customize your home and the basic options included and/or upgrade options available. There's no need to pay a contractor after you've closed to redo that pink tile in the bathroom because you participated in the finishes for your home. Because you get to help in the design, new builds tend to feel much more like home right off the bat. So who doesn't want that?
This also means that your home is equipped with the monitored amenities so there's no upgrading needed once you move in, nor do you need to do that deep clean since you're the first homeowner. Another fact is that new builds in today's market can be easier to secure. Once you pick a builder and if they have a home available, you can secure it without competing against multiple buyers or over asking bids. Although finding a builder with a lot available in today's market is a bit harder these days. Colorado has luckily not yet gone to the lottery system for lots like some other states, Arizona. You should also prepare for a longer timeline and slightly higher costs given today's market conditions.

The second half of May seemed to open up a bit. But, sorry, it was a false peak. Less inventory came on the market and more buyers went out looking for it. Inventory was down 6% from last month, and down 14% from last year inventory.
6718 homes went under contract, which was up 17% last month, and up 3% from last year.Active listings dropped last month. In fact, there was a 20% drop and inventory fell below 2000 homes for sale the second time this year. Listings are spending and average of four days on market.
You have to be ready to pounce, offer 30K over asking, without any contingences and ready to close in 2 weeks.
26% higher close - higher end homes.23% higher close -medium priced homes.$700,000 average closed price detached.
We are nowhere near the peak. Same with rates. Rates turned up mid-month.Inflation jumped 4.2% - the highest in 13 years. Core inflation jumped to 3%. This was the highest monthly gain - EVER. Get the rest of the insights by listening to this 9 minute episode. More false peaks are expected.

Nicole gives you three examples as to what a creative lender can do for you. Creative is another word for experienced here. When you simply go with the lowest rate without any other thought to the best financial plan for your longer goal, you are selling yourself short and most likely costing you and your family a lot of money. 
Tune in to hear these quick examples.

Gabe Bodner, Reverse Mortgage specialist at The Rueth Team joins Nicole for this episode.
#1 myth: you give up the title of your house with Reverse Mortgage.Bank or lender takes over the house.
FACT:You still own the house.
#2 myth: you can no longer pass the house to your heirs.
FACT: your heirs can inherit the home, pay off the reverse mortgage and inherit the additional equity above the reverse mortgage.
#3 myth: You're losing equity
FACT: Not losing but USING some of your equity.Interest is added back to the loan through negative amortization. This does eat away at some of the equity, but based on interest rates on traditional loans, and growth and appreciation, you gain more equity than you are using and saving money on the loan if you need it.
#4 myth: You have to own your home free and clear
FACT: The existing mortgage balance can be absorbed or paid off.
This should be a loan of last resort. You have a better probability of financial success by utilizing a reverse mortgage sooner because it's a more efficient use of the equity in retirement.
Can I use a reverse mortgage for purchase OR a refi?Yes.If I pull money out for a reverse mortgage are you limited on what you can use it for?The equity money can be used for anything you want, including acquiring more real estate, paying taxes, gifting, converting an IRA to a ROTH IRA.The proceeds received are TAX-FREE because it's considered a loan.
Listen to Nicole's happy ending story of how one couple retired and bought two income properties wiping out their mortgage and bringing in steady income.
Some additional information you may find helpful.

Headlines regularly push the topic of inflation. We usually know it's bad if it goes up, but why? What causes the change, and what industries are affected by it that will affect my life? These are questions answered in this episode. 
So what is inflation? We know it can occur in any product or service including need base expenses and want base expenses. We also know that the Federal Reserve Bank monitors the inflation rates.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures what you and I feel at the grocery store, medical care, etc. Inflation rates have moved from 2.5 to 4.16 which is the largest increase since 2008. Food costs are rising twice as fast as pre-COVID. Retail sales are running out of steam after stimulus monies have been spent and sticker shock is settling in. This also pushes interest rates up.

Being competitive isn't strategic, it's a must. Competitive offer tactics can include:
appraisal gap insurance
short closing timelines
waiving inspection items
strong loan approval
Here are some loan approval options to make your offer stand out.
Prequalification is the very first and most common step with online and box lenders. This is the bare minimum.
Pre-approval submitting the loan documentation to the lender.
A pre-approval letter gives the listing agent and seller confidence that what you say you make is what you make, and what you say you have is true.
10 Day Close Earnest money guarantee loan approval through the Rueth Team.You can keep shopping, but once approved and no changes to your status, the Rueth Team will guarantee your earnest money.
Sellers want the best experience selling so they can turn around and buy their next home. 
Tune in to this short and helpful episode. Learn more about this offer Nicole covers here >

This is the one topic that has not only generated more calls to our office but to our agent clients, a crazy number of internet searches. People want to know - is the housing bubble about to hit? Let Nicole tell you how it is in Colorado. 
Fiction: an imminent collapse is coming.
Fiction: forbearance will lead to foreclosures, especially in Colorado.
Fact: Equity gain is our saving grace.
Fact: What's happening is leaps and bounds different than 2008.
Listen to this 10-minute episode to get the facts.

As part of the continuing Fact vs. Fiction series, Nicole talks about the facts and fiction of home loans. Listen to this 7-minute episode, play again until it sticks.
A preview:
Fact 1 - call your lender firstFiction 1 - assume the best loan for them is with 20% down or minimum down.Fact 2 - you have the power to affect your monthly payment.Fiction 2 - renting is not more cost-effective unless you are only looking at the immediate short term. You want to pay your OWN mortgage, not your landlord's.Fiction 3 - getting a home loan isn't possible unless everything is lined up or perfect.