Is it your financial scaries lurking in the closet. Is it the fear about those bills you know in your mailbox right now that you haven't opened. Whatever is scaring you financially, We're going to talk about it this Halloween. For the first time ever, we are doing a live Brown Ambition YouTube extravaganza where we're going to be talking about the spooky and scary financial topics that are keeping you awake at night. So come face your fears with us.
I will be here your girl Mandy Money, along with two incredible guests, Delian Barros from Ask the Money Coach and Mark Russell. If y'all have not met Mark, you are in for a treat Mark Russell from Betterwallet. They are both joining me live in the Brown Ambition studio for a special Halloween episode. So if you want to tune in, join us Monday, October thirty, first Halloween Day, at one pm Eastern that's twelve pm Central live on YouTube.
To follow along, go to YouTube dot com search Brown Ambition. That's where we will be showing up live. I will see y'allo on Halloween.
Hey, Hey, hey, we're back.
We're black, We're Brown Ambition. Ambition. Hey, Angel, how are you?
I'm doing just fine, even though I'm not gonna lie. I dropped off homeboy at daycare today and I came home. It's one of these rainy days, and I crawled into bed and I felt so kilty about it. I crawled back into bed for an hour, but I just I don't know what I needed. I just needed to sleep a little bit longer. So one of them days. But I have been, you know, working NonStop for a couple hours. Now I'm lucky to have a break and get to talk to you.
Yeah. So I go to do Bay tomorrow. Woo woop. It's all y'all.
Yeah, you know, you know how it is the day before your vacation. Everyone's like, so just five minutes of your team, So what are you?
I know?
So that's been crazy, but I'm excited about Dubai. I'm going with my sister Carol. She's the mom of Row Row and me me that you gonna talk about all the time that live down the street from me. So I'm sure they're going to have a heart attack when they're like, you're leaving again, because they were like, next time you go on a plane, mommy, I want to go.
So I'm so proud of her day. Yes, right, because it was a big deal for her to go to that trip with Vegas. Yeah, your sisters, right.
And then we also went she came with me to the team trip to New Orleans. So you know, the kids are sick of her. They were like, girl, listen too much outside.
So she's a dead beet. Mom, Is that what's happening?
No, first, let me just say you're gonna be mad. I tell the story.
But we because the kids always want to see pictures when we come back from trips, so we were showing like them pictures of like us at when we want to go see Usher, and so now we had front row. So at one point Usher was like, you know, reaching to the audience, and so Carol reached up and held her handful of gas. He saying, and Roman was like, because you know that's son, he's school. He said, I know that is I said, what is that? He said, that's romance.
That's when I say, out of the words of no, he said, So he get to the full Easter ray treatment though, did you see that video? No?
Ray, I know, I was like, you a lady now, so.
I mean I wasn't even that into usher, but I would have. I don't know what, I'm so awkward. I do not know what what I would have done if that had been me. But didn't We all wish it was us.
But yeah, it was just funny but no. So so two things. One, one of my friends Denise from high school, who I'm not seen it forever, was like, oh, we're having like a mid year reunion. It's like twenty five years, you know, We're just going to meet up at like this like restaurant slash bar. And I was like, girl, I'm not going. I didn't go to the twentieth. I'm not going to the twenty fifth. And she's like, just come. But I ended up going, and I'm really glad that
I did. As usual, I was the only chocolate chip, but that's what it feels for you. But honestly, it was great because I forgot. I'm like, oh, Diane from science class and from math and I say, it was really great, And it was crazy to hear them be like I'm so proud of you, Tiffany.
I'm like, wait, you guys follow me because the course.
Yeah, but I was, you know, because I don't you know, and they were just like trying to everybody was our chocolate chip, but they were so I mean, the truth is, actually had a decent high skill experience. I didn't, you know, certainly, you know, there's always stuff in high school, but in general, I enjoyed my high school experience. I wasn't cool, but I wasn't like some somebody who didn't have friends, you know. I was someplace in the middle, like the average kid.
And and honestly, everyone there I remembered fondly, there wasn't anyone. Well, there was one girl, Nicole Dice. Be so scared because Nicole was a tough She was tough and I spoke I don't want to call to beat me up.
But other than that, but she was so nice. When I saw her, I was like, Nichol, iiced be so scared of you.
She was like really, and then everyone was like Nicole, Yes, but it was other like honestly, it was just a really.
Good time and I'm just glad.
I want went to thank you so much, Denise for dragging me out of the house. But I have exciting news that has a financial spin. So I have been open to purchasing another property for myself to live in. I just think it's time, you know. But I just said I was just gonna start looking, you know, like no real like cause obviously I have a home, it's
paid off, there's no rush, you know. So I started to look, and at first I was like, maybe I want to live in, Like, there's some really pretty towns surrounding Newark, like South Orange, Maplewood there a little bougier
and like Montclair super bougie. So I went and saw some places, but honestly, a lot of the homes that were in the range that I was initially thinking, like the seven or eight hundred thousand dollars range, were either similar to the house I have now but not as nice, or like nice as the house that I have now, but not as big. And so I was kind of like, well,
why would I move to less, you know? And then it was like, well, if you're wanting a more upscale house, because that's what I'm feeling like now, this house is very family It's like a if you were to come and when you've come here, Mandy, it's very much like
this is for a family and kids. And that was the that's why Jirelle and I you know, we designed it with that in mind, and now that that's not happening, I was like, I'm I want to move into the rich auntie face of my life, which is like I want your last tables.
Right, exactly right. And so.
Because as it is now, any kid could like your kids next for you have to bring Rio and I'll have Roman and a million be here because this is like the ultimate kid friendly but also like adults love it kind of house, you know, and so so. But for the price range in those towns that I was looking at, I was looking at at at least a million dollars up to a million and a half, but I was open to that.
I was like, okay, I won't. I'll get a mortgage.
I'll put like you know, a quarter down or half down or whatever, and I'll still do that. And because I didn't know that I wanted fancy until I saw one property and like maybe what to South Orange. It was like one point three million, and I walked in and I gasped, and I realized I want to gasp when I walk in. But it was too big. It was like six bedrooms, four and a half bath. I'm like, for who you know? But It made me realize that
that was a level that I wanted. Then recently my friend Cabrel miss to know it all, was like, consider a condo that where you don't have to worry about shoveling, you don't have to worry about Tiffany. You're traveling a lot more now, so you don't you know, there's a you know, you might have a doorman. And I said, you know, I never thought about that. I'd owned a condo with my first property, but it was like a
condo townhouse, so it didn't feel very condo. We you know, it was so but I started to look and then yesterday Mandy I saw a condo that I fell in love with. I was like, wait, I think I'm putting an offering today.
I know what that is.
That's a romance, yes, exactly, and it is so.
One of a few things that I really love is my house was built in nineteen nineteen. I love a historic home, and many condos are new builds. But this condo actually was built in the nineteen like the early nineteen twenty, I think nineteen twenty, so it has very similar features to my home. My house is twenty two hundred square feet doesn't include the basement, so maybe it's bigger, but it's a good size house. The condo is twenty eight hundred, like luxury, and it's beautiful and you walk
in and you're like, it's giving the Huxtables. It's giving like Charlotte's Apartment and Sex in the City.
It is so beautiful and I'm not gonna lie.
I was like floral arrangements.
Yes it was. It's big, but not so.
It's four bedrooms and it includes a separate like it's not it doesn't.
They don't.
They don't consider it the bedroom because it doesn't have a closet, but it's it's a separate room that the woman has used as like a mini gym, you know. So it's like five rooms, three full bath and bass and a half bath. The living room is actually bigger than my living room, my dining rooms. I mean yes, the living room in the dining room is bigger than my current dining room and living room. The woman who owned it, because the condo is the building is ninety
five years old. It actually was built to compete with the Delaney in New York. I'm not familiar, but I was looking at research, which is some luxurious kind of that they built in the nineteen twenties for like the rich and the famous back then, so it was built during then. So like when you walk in, it's like marble and panel and this is like just the lobby.
It has a doorman. He works every day six.
To six, so six pm to six am. Now the thing is, it's like, you know, It's what I love is it's still in my current neighborhood, so I could still do my regular walks.
My friends are still here.
Carol and the kids quite honestly probably would live in the house where I live now because they live down the street. And I'm like, well, you guys can just live here because I'm not selling this house. I love this house. I'm just like looking for a change.
Now. Those are like the pros.
Another pro is that the person who owned it fully renovated it, so even though it's an older building, all the plumbing and the electrical is new. In that unit. It's almost like a double unit in comparison to others. And this was kind of on my secret wish list. It has a huge picture frame window that picture frames the city, the New York City skyline.
I'm like, I'm not gonna lie. But that's the pros.
The cons are okay because it is an older play one. The association fee is not cheap. So I don't know what's a lot in New York or whatever, but here it's it's twelve twelve fifty a month, so it's like you pay that, but also include that includes like, you know, all the maintenance not in inside your apartment but inside you know, outside every place else. And it also includes your heat and hot water, so I don't have to pay that, you know, the like, so when he comes out,
I don't have to worry about that. So I just paid my electric bill basically, and it includes sewage and garbage remove all that stuff. So I just paid the electric bill as far as utilities and the internet if I want it. So it's twelve fifty, So that to me is not a deturn for me. And I'm like, that's fine. The taxes are really reasonable. I'm sharing these numbers because I don't know what's normal for y'all, and I think it's good.
To hear you.
Still.
I was kind of asked, do you still play paid property taxes?
Yes?
You do though, so right now in my house, now my property taxes. Last time I check, I want to say it was like eighty four hundred for the year, which is the lowest in Essex County.
So I don't know what they What are yours?
How to get out of Westchester?
Okay?
Did you here's I'll give one thousand last time I checked.
Yeah, And honestly, like, my parents pay fourteen.
And I'll say this that in Montclair the average is like twenty thousands, some people paying thirty thousand.
So I was like, are you gonna move to fancy Montclair or down the street in New York? So and so the condo is seven thousand, which I was like, okay, So.
You're looking at two thousand a month.
No, no, no a year for the for the property taxes.
Oh the taxes okay, okay, yes.
So seven thousand of your property taxes, twelve hundred for maintenance and so so I was like, okay, So basically you're looking at even because I planned I would plan on purchasing it cash.
I so I first thing I did was I hit up Angelia.
I said, what's best, because you know me the cash queen, that's not always best with interest. It's the way they're doing you know that's not always now, what's that girl? So though, so what Angelie did tell me? She said, well, certainly the ideal would be half down half let's put into the market.
You know. So they're wanting five thirty nine. It was on.
It was on the market for five seventy five initially, and like some months ago they took it off, put it back on, and now it's five thirty nine. Girl, I'm not offering that. Hopefully they don't listen, because I don't think so. But because I'm offering a cash deal of four to seventy five will probably end around four eighty five, four ninety five, that's probably where a little it'll land, you know. So so I'm going to offer that in cash, you know, because it will because if
I mean, certainly I can get them more. Because I asked Angelie what is best? She said, Ideally I would love to see you put half down half. You know, we can put half in the market. But if you're wanting to get like the best deal as far as like the overall cost, you know, obviously cash is going to be king and you're more likely to get it at that price range. Now, if they're going to push you for more and you really really want it, then you can be like, well it's not cash, then we'll do half down.
I'll put half in the market.
And so yeah, because four seventy five is not, you know, bad, Like literally, I had a friend look at it.
She was like, because she lives in Harlem. I believe she's like this in Harlem.
You're looking at a minimum of two million dollars for this apartment in Harlem.
I was just gonna say, that seems so reasonable, I know for it condo.
So the reason I'm sharing this with y'all is because there are as you as you decide what life is going to look like and the things that you're wanting to support the left that you're wanting to get.
It's like these are huge financial choices as well.
Because certainly Newark is Newark, it is much better than it's been. But where the condo is, there are other like it's one it's two blocks up from my current house, meaning which is very residential, but it's not on a residential street. It's on a street that has other condos and things like that. So there's there's a noise component that I'm gonna have to to decide if I want to navigate with because it's city living, so you're gonna hear some city noise, you know. So it's like the
building itself is really quiet. Everybody there is like quiet. And I asked a bunch of tenants and they loved it. Most people live there for like twenty years, you know, and so so.
That's not the issue.
But I'm gonna hear more outside noise than I would in my super residential neighborhood where I live now, even though it's only like a two block differential, you know. So I was like, okay, So I actually have a call with a friend later on today who lives there, to get like a really good indicator of like by noise, what do you mean like every day at King Sineta noise like routang outside.
Your window, noise in the night for a night, just to test it. O.
Well, the thing is you don't really hear the noise and extep for the summertime because you know, people be outside outside. Yeah you know, so like you're not hearing it now, so you know. So but I told myself, certainly I can move to a South Orange, a Maplewood, a Montclair and pay twenty fifteen minimum to upwards of thirty thousand dollars annually for taxes for super super super.
Quiet, even if it's a condo.
And I can also pay two to three times the amount for the property, you know, or I can say because basically I'm weighing the options of what matters to me, because an Julia and I just came up with like my big magic number of what do I if I wanted to make two hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year just waking up and going to sleep, what do I have to be?
What do I have to put up?
Like She's like, you don't have to work now necessarily if you didn't want to, and you can maintain your current life. But if let's just say you were like you don't want to do anything and you still want to yield to fifty, then you have some more money to put up, you know. And I said, okay, So but that was with the if I purchased a home for one point.
Two million plus.
But if I do this, then I can adjust what I have to do as far as work is concerned.
And so there's like this ebb and flow, you know what I mean, Like, do.
You know, do you go for the fancier and have like the accoutament but not be next to your tribe and your family. Do you stay here in New York where some Newark things for sure, but you get it at a price that's like, girl, you can pay for that, you know, out of pocket, and you get to be next to family and friends and it's beautiful and I wouldn't not that I wouldn't be able to afford this someplace else, but the financial burden is three times as much.
And so that's kind of like what I'm weighing now.
I mean, obviously I'm leaning heavily towards staying here in York, but I just wanted to share that because I was like, it's just like, you know, it's been Darrell passed away November fifteenth of last year, and I can't believe it's been almost a year. It's so crazy and it's been almost a year. And now it's like it's like finally I'm out of the fog kind of, and I'm just like, well, what what next?
And how do I want life to go? You know?
And that's that's why I've been like really asking myself, how do you want life to go, and you know, Durell was like he mowed the lawn, he shoveled, he did all those things, and without someone there to do that, It's like, well what does that look like for.
You, Tiffany?
You know, like you know, and and also safety, you know, like I come in the house, and also nothing's ever happened here, but there's a safety of being Like as the brand grows and I get to be more known, it's nice that the doorman is there and no one's going to follow me into my building, you know. And so I'm just making you know, these life choices are not just life choices. These are also like financial choices.
And I just was talking about with you guys, so you can see, like this is the thought process that I go through. And if you're making your own kind of like life choices, not to forget the finance part of it.
You know.
Well, I'm excited for you. I know you've been talking about it, and I feel like you've approached it so thoughtfully and you're given yourself time.
You know.
Isn't there the adage like don't make any big life choices after such a big loss like that like six months or something like that, but you've approached it so thoughtfully. And the thing is, I mean, buying a home at any time is like always such a loaded kind of like anxiety inducing. Is it the right decision, blah blah blah.
But I feel like at the end of the day, it's about you make the decision with what where you are now, with what you want now, do the best you can to project into the future what you may want. But I also feel like if you decide to change your mind, that those properties will still be there. You can still get your you know, if you want that ocean front luxury condo on the shore or whatever it is that you want. I feel like, okay, how's number three then? Or four? At this point a lost truck?
Well, I'm selling thankfully, you know. The house to Drell and I bought together the rental property. His brother, his twin brother, currently lives there. He wanted it so badly. The house has been such a blessing because of the way Jerell and I purchased it and renovated in.
There's no mortgage there.
It's literally that house means two people in his family get a home Alyssa because the house belongs to Alissa and I equally, but I'm giving her my half of the proceeds of the house.
So that way when it's time for.
Her to purchase a home after college, she gets the home that she wants wherever she wants to live. But then Torell, my husband, Jerell's twin, gets that house that he wanted so badly. He was born and raised in Newark and wants.
To live there.
And plus it's brother's house, and so it's like this one house gets to provide for two people that he loved the most in the world.
So it's been such a blessing.
He actually just texted me today was like, I got a closing date of December sixth, so fingers crossed that. It all like, you know, lose for it and I purchasing it from you. Yes, he's gotten purchased it directly from me. We're so no honestly that it was the knack of program. Yeah, he just was having a hard time with the Knacker program, so he just decided to go. Traditionally, he was ready, you know, he had his money saved,
he has great credit. So and what I what I committed to him is that my realtor my friend is a realtor, so she's like, girl, I'm just gonna give you advice, but I'm not going to participate. So you don't have to pay any realtor's fees. You don't need all that five hundred dollars. Go go to this you know, this real estate attorney to get a contract and that's it. You know, Terrell will take care of his own closing costs and things like that, like you know, an inspection
and things like that. But for you, it's five hundred dollars out of pocket, you know. And I was just like, okay. So but what she said was she did comps for me, and she said that home currently. I think when we first finished it was worth like two twenty we put I want to say one eighty into it, maybe one seventy. I think we bought it for ten thousand and put like one hundred and fifty into it.
So like wanted to realize, y'all it's such a big Rhno.
Yeah, well, it was a gut. It was cats were living in there, it was it was. It was a gut. After it was finished, you know, we put one fifty one sixty one seventy it was worth two twenty as soon as we were finished with it last year, and so now the house was worth My realtor friend was like, I did the comps. It's worth between two seventy five and three fifteen. So I told her, let's split the
difference and make it two ninety five. Of course, if the inspection comes in lower, I'll you know, I'm not going to but I know it's not gonna come lower because they're building a train station there to the city New York City, and Lionsgate Film is building a new studio there, so it is not coming in lower. So what I told him is, well, split the difference, and that means you get twenty thousand dollars built in equity off the jump. And he was like, yeah, so it's
like such a win win for everyone. And I'm not gonna lie though, I mean, financially I've lost out, but not really, you know what I meaning? Like, you know, I put the money into the house, and I don't really get I'm not getting any of my money back. I mean I could, I guess, because I don't have to give my half to Alyssa.
But to me, it's such a small thing for such a big thing. You know what I mean. And so yeah, like.
It's such a small thing as far as a financial quote unquote loss to me because someone was like, gir, are you crazy keep that house?
In five years it's gonna be worth double.
And I'm like, yeah, so maybe it's worth five hundred thousand, you know, instead of the two fifty or whatever. But the truth is I make plenty and this will allow Durell's family to start growing wealth on their own terms. And I know he would want that more than anything. And if I never work a day in my life, I'm okay, so more money, I'll talk more money for what's sake, you know. Like to me, the mantra that always rolls in my head is what is the money for?
And it's for things like this, you know. So it just feels like it's like a year later.
It just like like it's just such a reflective time of like how far we've all come and where we are now. And I feel like he would be really happy about like how we've.
Come to this place, proud, you know.
And how beautiful that y'all were able to finish it before he passed.
Yes, well, it was it was like maybe like a month we finished maybe like a month after he passed. Well, he didn't get to see it fully finished, but mostly you know, and to Rap painted it for us, which was like such a blessing because he you know, he's a master painter, and so it just was like it's
just just a full circle moment. And I was telling my friend Linda, was like, there are moments that it is the best case scenario within the worst case scenario, you know, And I feel like that's the place I've been living in between, which is like grief and gratefulness. And I used to think you couldn't do both, and it's like, no, I can acknowledge the grief component of it.
Sometimes it's overwhelming and crippling, but then right beside it is this overwhelming sense of gratefulness because like, look at all that's been able to happen. I was just talking to Alyssa yesterday. She was like, hey, Tiff, I'm like, what do you want girl? She was like, when are we gonna get back to TikTok Aka? I need money here? And I was like yeah, because you know what, I say, you know what because a listen has been slacking all that TikTok and I said, you know what, I told Georgie,
that's not an automatic payment. Uh, she got to put an invoice for those, And I said, I wasn't gonna say anything because I wanted her to learn the lesson of like that the well ones drive when you don't do the work.
And so she hit me up real quick, was.
Like, so I think we should batch record when you get back, I said, I bet. I said, okay, So I sold her reach out to Rose my admin, put yourself on my calendar, and we will tape. But I told her, I listen, I'm not going to chase you down that like you have to consistently deliver.
And she was like, let her know that that's breaking. You're nothing new in October November rule girl.
Yeah exactly, so she is, but like yeah, so, but it's just such a blessing that, like, you know, I just would have ever thought that it would be it could be like this still, which is like me and a Lists are closer than ever, Me and Terrell are closer than ever, you know, like you know, like everybody wins, Like if I get that place, then Carol and the kids get to stay here. Me and Draw talked about that that if we buy another place, Carol, the kids can come here, you know. So it's just the best
case scenario within the worst case scenario. You know.
Yeah, it makes me think about that book. Sheryl Sandberg wrote after her husband passed option B. You can't have option A, but you And I think the quote is like kick the shit out of option B. And I feel like you are kicking the shit out of your ear. And I mean in the best way possible.
I'll be shying. Girls.
They are incredible, you know you're incredible, But like I mean, and it's a journey and it's a process, and it's just I'm just so always so proud of you. I am as heartbroken because I feel the same way. It's such a bittersweet, but like as heartbroken as I am about Jarell, And of course, just I know that's where you'd rather be with him, rich Auntie Tiffany, Like I want the sitcom, I want the TikTok channel. I can't wait to see that. I'm so excited for you. You
deserve whatever it is that you want that luxury. I'm so proud of you for allowing yourself to acknowledge that you want the nice things and get it. And hey, if that condo and Nework is what you want, cool, But I mean I'm all like, if you want that one point too, Millie, you know, condo somewhere else and that's what's going to make you happy. I'm just like, don't let go of that yet either.
I'm open. I just told my I.
So I'm excited for you.
You know, I'm open, And I hope that you know, be a fan like listening that you realize that like when we talk about personal finance, this is the personal part about the finance. That it's not just numbers on a spreadsheet. You know that Like one of the reasons why Mandy and I we do this podcast is because we want you to have the options, to be able to choose even when some choices have been taken from you.
It's like, how can I do the best, the best possible thing, you know, no matter what's happening in my life. And that's the power of like taking action when it comes to your personal finances, that you get to decide not every aspect of your life, but you get to have a say, you know, you get to have a
big voice. And so like that's why I just share so openly here because I just know that there's someone who's listening who is feeling like that can't be me, that's not me, and it's like, but it can be, you know it can You know you might not be able to choose A but like Mandy said, you could kick the shit out an aption B But yes, nails.
That's love. Oh thank you. They came out way more bridal than I wanted. But it was.
Let me find out.
You would support me, wouldn't you?
I would, I'd be like, girl, whatever you want. I'm T Mandy, Sorry Amy U, I love you too. I'm T Mandy and.
Rial thank you. We all need our allys. Right. Should we take a quick little break and come back with booster break? Yes see y'all in a minute, all right, va fam, And now it's time to boost O BREAKO boost O BREAKO boost A break so Tiffany can get up out of here and go to Dubai. Let's do this quickly. We got places to be. What are you gonna do? Tif booster break or you want me to go first?
You decide you go first?
Well, I would love to keep in theme with your the talk we just had about your home your your home purchasing journey and all of that, because husband and I have been on our own journey to fight our home appraisal, and like, I know how much we talk about how black households are undervalued and underappraise and all of that, But in a weird way, I am rooting for my own low appraisal because our home, because our eyes, our property taxes are craik ray, Like I want to say,
they're like between twelve and fourteen thousand, I forget. But with the pandemic and with home values just shooting up our town drastically increased our appraised home value, which drastically increased our taxes to the point where we refinanced our mortgage in twenty twenty. Was the summer of twenty twenty
when rates were really, really low. I think we got a new rate at like two point eight or something crazy like that, and we immediately saved three to four hundred dollars and then it was like cute for a few months, and then it was boom. We were back up paying what we were paying before. So I was like, what the heck was the point of that? So anyway, and just for anyone who's out there. If you pay attention to your you get like a what's it called an assessment from your I don't know your town or
New York is kind of where you did. Okay, we're in a town and they reassessed our home and it was like one hundred thousand dollars more with something nuts and we were like this it was it's always in the spring, and then you have until like the summertime juneish at least where we live to appeal it. And we got our up. We got our appeal in late, and there's like, because we were just busy and I
don't know, we just didn't have our crap together. But there's actually real estate attorneys or real estate agents who do this on the side, so they will help you appeal your assessment and go through that process. Because we put ours in late, which meant we put ours in in like August or September, there's like a small court, small court claim kind of situation. Now, so long story short,
we're in this process. I will update you guys, but I think at this point we've paid five hundred dollars to get our home reassessed, and the appraisal that we got came in I want to say, like seventy five thousand dollars under what the town had appraised it at. So but they're fighting us on it. So yeah, so now it's in like a small claims court situation. So
I'm taking a break for this whole situation. And it's stressful because, you know, five hundred bucks for the appraisal, and then the person who we've hired to represent us, he's going to be charged d obviously a percentage of our first year of savings. And don't quote me on this because Husby has been dealing with it, and it's to the point where I think I want to get
in there because I was trying to delegate. But he was like, yeah, the guy said he's going to charge his seventy five percent of whatever we save in the first year on our taxes. And I was like, seventy five cents like a lot. I don't know if he has it all right, I got to figure it out. Yeah, So that's the situation. If you have any advice or you've been through this situation, like, let me know.
Well, I'll say this that like pipers, So my one of my friends who lives not far from me, same they refinanced, was like, woh, we saved a few hundred you know, a few hundred dollars, and then their house got reassessed and they were like, psych, we're right back where we're plus some. So what they did with and I'll ask her specifically what they did, but they were
able to go to the city. They got so it went from like nine or something like that to fourteen thousand annually, and so they were able to go to the city and they were able to get it down to eleven.
So I will ask, like, what did you say? You know what I mean, like, what was the process?
Obviously Newark is different, but I don't know what the process was, but I'll ask, like, what was that process like? But I have heard that over and over again that people have been able to kind of battle back their their taxes. So so I'll ask and hopefully, you know, it'll be helpful. But yeah, I definitely heard people had success. So my dad would always say, do they have two heads where there's success for one, there's success for others, So you know, we're speaking life over that.
Yeah, I'd be curious if they did themselves or if they hired someone, and if they did hire someone, how did they pay? And how did that all work? Because I feel like we are going to be saving something, but I'm like, man, how much am I paying this person? Exactly?
Yeah, Yes, Sometimes it's hard to be like to not try to be in the mix and let someone else do it. But if that's your strength, sometimes you got to jump in and be like, hey, tag me and take me in.
I know, control freak, but I just I just don't like no, and my husband is so he doesn't he doesn't push, you know, I'm a pusher, Like I'm going to ask the same question eleven to different ways until I understand everything, which I think is a winning character trait. I think it makes me spectacular at everything. But my husband's like, why aren't you being so pushy? And like anyway, But you know, I'm just gonna slide into the email and remove him from the CC line. I never have to know, Yeah.
Because honestly, it's thousands of dollars on the line, so I'm gonna see we're not talking.
About, you know, the order of cookies from your favorite.
Bakery here, thank you.
I mean, you know, inview.
Sometimes it's times when it's like I gotta get in the ring. You know, it's like you can't you gonta let somebody jump your best friend. You gotta jump in, right, see, justify me?
All right?
What about I'm going to do a boost that is aligned but not the same. So I don't know if I Well, y'all know that I helped to craft a law called the budget. He's the law A one four
one four with assembly Woman Angeline McKnight. And then I had the opposite thing happened with my house that it was under praise, and as a result, Angela was like, well, we can work on a law to make that illegal, and not only to make it illegal, but to make the education of what to do if that happens legal, like mandatory.
And so that's like what.
So we were talking about it, and so she drafted the bill based upon our conversation. I was in Dallas speaking for Chase Banks, so I couldn't go, but she she was. She went to she said she had to what does she say, She's like, she was and she had to basically go and testify. You know, I guess at the you know, the the I don't even know Tretton, which is like the law House or whatever. So anyway, the bill passed. I know, it passed the Assembly committee yesterday.
So it's like the first of three steps. It has to pass the Assembly committee. It's like, I'm just the bill just like like that Schoolhouse rock song. And then I believe the next it has to go to the to the House, New Jersey House, you know, and then has to go to the Senate, and if it passes there, then it has to be signed by the governor, and if he does sign it, it becomes a law. And if he doesn't sign it, he can actively kind of veto the law by saying no, or he can passively
veto the law by just not signing it. But our current governor is Phil Murphy. He's a Democratic governor. She's a Democratic assembly woman. So we hope that they're on the line. So it's really exciting. And she was like, girl, get ready for your new law name. I'm like, ooh, so, actually, ba faun what's he called it? Like the budget, He's gonna praise the law like what we what we calling it? Something that's going to roll off. So here's the.
Thing, stop racist appraisals.
Right, technically it's going to be you know, like the like the law names are like A one four one four, Like if you were to google A one four one four that's but Angela alas because she is so nice and like she allows for me to like you know, call it whatever, like as far as like media and pressing things to bring attention to it.
And so I was like yeah, and.
So so it's not like, you know, if you go to the courthouse, they're gonna be like, oh, we're talking about the Budgetissa, They're gonna like, girl, what is no?
What is the name? A one four one four?
So but so I you know, yes, I would love some some some law names. I mean preferably with the worry of budgetestea in it, because I mean, if nothing, I'm a marketer.
Yeah, of course the budget east appraise.
Appraise a lot yet or something and so like tweet me at the Budgetista or at Branna Vision, hit me on Insta or hit a Bannavision on Insta for some law names.
Yeah.
But I'm excited because honestly, here's the thing. When because we're claiming it, this goes through. It's not just that it's going to make it illegal to appraise someone's home and to use their erase their sexuality, their gender or whatever, as as you know part of the reason why you praised. There's no way to really prove that because people will
say whatever. But the part that I love, and that's why I said make this part mandatory, is that it will be that your realtor, once you are like either selling or like I forget what stage in the buying process, will have to give you an information sheet about the appraisal process and what to expect. And if you suspect that your appraisal has been done in a way that you know that is reflective of your race, your gender,
your sexuality, whatever, here's a remedy and recourse. I thought that was so powerful because now appraisers will know I see you, I know what I'm supposed to expect, and if you don't do what you're supposed to do, here's who I call to report you. Because there's nothing took. It took like weeks of research to figure out what do I do when this happens, And honestly, there was still no clear like this is what you're supposed to do. And now it's like no, no, no, here's who you call.
Here's how you report that appraiser. Some appraises were mad, and I'm like, why a hit dog on holla? So come from if you won't, because my block name is strong. Because if you're not appraising someone's property based upon those things what you worry for, you know what I mean?
It makes your job more stressful and more over like, but that's the point of having watchdogs. That's important. Yeah, checks and balances.
Exactly what you worried for.
That's for a raise exactly.
So so I'm just excited about that. That's a's a it's a big booth. That's huge.
I'm excited too. It's also a good reminder that the midterms elections, y'all. Okay, these local official positions like Angela McKnight and the people in the House, like all these local level like this is who's in charge of our like the legislation that really impacts us at home. So if you are not ready for November, what is it now? Fourth? When is when's the election day? Is it November first?
Yeah? I think it's a fourth.
It's like, wait, is it like next week? Anyway, it's coming up. It's the first. It's like the Tuesday in November, right, m hmm, it's coming up. Very soon. Get your asses to the polls okay, and if you can't be in town, absentee ballot, I'm looking at you, Georgia, listen, don't love Stacy walk Away a loser again. Listen. I will come for you. Georgia, make it up. I'm so stressed, but yes, please vote. That's all all right, And that was the next.
Time, bapam.
Actually, we'll see you on Friday for BAQA. If you have your questions, you can hit us up. Obviously you can hit us up on all our socials, but if you want to be actually be on the show with us, you can leave an audio note via our Instagram account Brunda Vision Podcast, and we will pick and choose and maybe we'll have you.
On Yes, And although Tiffany will be in the Arabian sunset as she should be celebrating her birthday and all the things, I will be here next week with a very very special Halloween episode. We're talking about all the scary financial topics that y'all don't want to talk about. We're making it fun and I have some very special guests.
We're going to have Delian Borrows from Delian the Money Coach, and we're going to have Mark Russell, who's my new bestie for better wallet, so please please please join us, and most exciting, it's going to be live on YouTube, so keep your eyes looking, keep your eyes to our email. With our newsletter this week, we'll have a link to where you can tune in to watch us live on YouTube, so you know, we'll get that party started even though Tiff can't be here.
I love it. Don't ghost be here? Get it ghosts. Howie should I dress up?
I think I might actually dress up?
Oh I should?
I think I might. I think I might have a little fun that.
Way, you guys get like that. You have to join YouTube and watch.
Then you have to see what my costume is going to be, what the makeup situation is going to be?
Like?
All right, damn it. Now I've said it, so now I've committed. All right, fine, but Tiff, please enjoy your trip, get some get packed.
Okay, thank you, Bye.
Bye, hey ba fam. We could not do this show without your support or the support of our team behind the scenes. The Brown Emission podcast is produced by Cumulus Podcast Network. It's edited by the wonderful Emani Crosby and produced by Tanya Boost Dennistimplinsky is our in house tech curu, and I am Bandy Wodchard Santos, your co host, and I will see y'all next week