Reba and Eric discuss an array of topics which can impact the viability of a real estate house listing. Topics such as overpricing, zoning challenges, usage type, pricing methodologies, ownership types, and renovated vs. not renovated can affect the ability to sell quickly and with the least amount of issues for a seller. Lots of examples are given in each area to help sellers identify ways to best prepare their home for sale. Support the show...
Aug 28, 2021•50 min
Reba and Eric discuss an array of topics which can impact the viability of a real estate house listing. Topics such as overpricing, zoning challenges, usage type, pricing methodologies, ownership types, and renovated vs. not renovated can affect the ability to sell quickly and with the least amount of issues for a seller. Lots of examples are given in each area of this and the following week’s show to help sellers identify ways to best prepare their home for sale. Support the show...
Aug 21, 2021•50 min
On this episode of Open House with Team Reba, Eric and Reba start off looking at a few important rules to save you from colliding into whales of problems on the water and keep you sailing smoothly in the world of boating. In segment two, Reba lets listeners in on the upcoming Celebrity Chef Dinner at Renton Technical College with Chef Shota Nakajima, November 10th from 6PM to 9:30PM. It will be a delectable combo platter of in-person, livestream and virtual events you'll hunger to experienc...
Aug 14, 2021•50 min
The housing market continues to run wild this summer, serving up the perfect cocktail of fun and danger. In this episode of Open House with Team Reba, Eric and Reba explore the tempestuous dynamics of this market, along with valuable info for every real estate transaction. The water’s warm, but market riptides could sweep your dream home to the bottom of the sea, so tune in for crucial advice from your team of experts on real estate and financing, here on Open House with Team Reba! Support the s...
Aug 07, 2021•50 min
In this broadcast of Open House with Team Reba, Reba and Eric discuss how seasoning your real estate transactions (or just plain LIFE transactions) with a pinch of wisdom and a few spoonfuls of expert advice might be the difference between a big win and a big catastrophe! Support the show
Jul 31, 2021•48 min
Can you imagine a school capable of teaching children as young as 18 months to learn without adult supervision, interact respectfully with both other children and adults, and tend to their assignments autonomously? It’s hard enough to believe that 18-YEAR old kids can learn to do this, yet this is precisely the result delivered by the education at Three Tree Montessori schools. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric sit down with Jami Sweeny of Three Tree Montessori school to discuss their...
Jul 24, 2021•50 min
On this broadcast, Reba and Eric offer up listeners a smorgasbord of timely topics to mentally munch on… from productive work philosophies, to the prospects of a housing bubble, to innovative lending options for folks without standard incomes, to the importance of Chambers of Commerce, to what goes into getting a house ready to sell… And the proverbial cherry on top…. Slydial. Take in the cruise on Open House with Team Reba Support the show...
Jul 17, 2021•48 min
In this post-July 4th broadcast, Reba and Eric put on a show that feels more like a fireworks display, with grand, scintillating topics exploding into colorful, informative discussion. What could just one carpenter ant mean to your home's structural integrity? What is the impact of political considerations on interest rates? What’s the difference between a lake-front and ocean-front view? And particularly important in light of the Miami Surfside Condominium collapse of June 2021, what are s...
Jul 10, 2021•49 min
Are you in your sixties? Is the house over halfway paid off? Do you earn just enough income or possess adequate assets to cover basic home maintenance, insurance and taxes? Do you need to free up some cash? You could be the ideal candidate for a reverse mortgage! In this broadcast of Open House, Eric and Reba welcome back reverse mortgage expert, Janis Layman, to discuss the qualifications and benefits of this innovative lending option - along with a host of success stories. So don't just d...
Jul 03, 2021•48 min
Gail Welfringer with First Mark Insurance is back to get you settled, when something 'unsettling' happens to your home. Stories and tips galore to get you grounded on insurance matters, when life is fraught with hazards and disasters. Support the show
Jun 26, 2021•50 min
What does it mean that there are currently over 35,000 Washingtonians who took a 90-hour course to pass a certification test with a score of 70% or better in order to become realtors? It means that if you aren’t careful about the agent you choose, you could be in for some risky business. In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric dive into the dangerous side of real estate transactions, by exploring the circumstances leading to loss of earnest money, mortgages on money pits, awkward-to-unbeara...
Jun 19, 2021•50 min
On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric begin with a light-hearted look at aquatic habitat etiquette and wind their way around to proposed changes to capital gains taxes that could have a devastating impact on you and your loved ones. If you own investment property, or stand to inherit real estate, you’ll want to listen in to find out what actions you can take to prepare for the potential elimination of the “step up” clause, which recalibrates assessed property values upon the death of the ...
Jun 05, 2021•50 min
On this broadcast of Open House, Eric an Reba welcome Sean Greenley, Benita Horn and Zenovia Harris with the Kent and Renton Chambers of Commerce, to discuss both the importance of and process of creating a diverse workforce. This issue is important not only for addressing subtle and unconscious forms of discrimination, but also for opening up workplace decision-making to the diversity of thought and perspectives that can only come with the widest possible variety of backgrounds. Diversify your ...
May 29, 2021•50 min
In this broadcast of Open House, Reba and Eric have on Darcel Lobo of Dal Law to discuss probate, along with the complications arising from somebody’s passing, and the subsequent decisions and expenses facing the heirs of an estate. Learn the difference between a will and a trust, why probate may be required even if there’s a will, what expenses, legal actions and timelines may be involved in probate – and most importantly – how you and your loved ones can adequately plan and communicate arrange...
May 22, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 224
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May 15, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 223
On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric cover a smorgasbord of topics, from the rules on jumbo loans and the post-crash crackdowns on lending, to government subsidies brought about by the Dust Bowl of the Depression era. Eric describes what EPMI is, and how it can help save people with good credit on their mortgage payments, and Reba talks downtown condos, pre-inspections and the problems with pests. It’s a classic conversation on useful home and lending tips from your experts in real estat...
May 08, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 222
Covid didn’t just modify people’s work habits and routines, but also their living (and even their boating) arrangements. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric dive into an ocean of lending and real estate dynamics, surfacing with treasures of cost-saving tips, financial planning advice and boating lore. You’ll come away from this broadcast understanding the different rates of interest on second homes versus owner-occupied residences (and where the loopholes are), the consequences of conve...
May 01, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 221
In this episode of Open House with Team Reba, Laura Elfline is back to discuss the virtual Green Home Tour which took place in May 2021, along with her colleague, Paul Kocharhook of Pathway DC design, a design construction company with an emphasis on green construction methods and “Universal Design” renovations which allow people to ‘age in place’. Learn how green homes make for healthy living, what the meaning of “functional obsolescence” is in terms of home design, and why it’s best to make ne...
Apr 24, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 220
When somebody dies, the vultures gather. It’s not only true for the unfortunate straggler crawling through the desert, but down along the dark underbelly of the real estate industry as well. In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric take a close-up look at the tactics of “equity skimming” firms who take advantage of the vulnerable, be it the elderly homeowner unaware of their property’s actual value, or the grieving family of the recently deceased. Learn how to recognize the tell-tale signs o...
Apr 17, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 219
What story are you telling with your money? Do your investments reflect your values? Are you planning financially for the different stages of your life? Are you building a legacy you can be proud of? On this broadcast of Open House, Eric and Reba ask Brittany Gautreau of Clarity Capital Partners in Bellevue, WA at Home | Clarity Capital Partners (claritycapitalllc.com) about financial planning tactics and focus for your 20’s, 40’s, 60’s and beyond. Plus, Reba and Eric talk Skagit Valley and fun ...
Apr 10, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 218
In this broadcast of Open House, Reba and Eric offer up a sampler platter of money matters: from the impact of geography on closing costs, to changes in interest rates on second homes, to the threat of foreclosure on properties with a reverse mortgage, to the importance and rules of earnest money. Sprinkled over this ‘home-dollars salad’ are suggested places to visit in La Conner and Anacortes, tips for keeping your water heater from burning down your house, and the explanation for why some appl...
Apr 03, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 217
Guest Kyle Woodring – Government & Public Affairs for Rental Housing Association of Washington ( www.RHAWA.org ) In this episode we start off with a discussion on what’s happening in the world of appraisals and issues coming up in the residential real estate sector. What happens when an appraisal comes in under the sale price, especially on a house in a bidding war, and how they’re rated by lenders. After, we spend the rest of the show talking with Kyle about where we are in the Eviction Mor...
Mar 27, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 216
Discussion of how appraisals can potentially put a hiccup in your real estate transaction and risks around preinspections. Guest is Darcel Lobo of DAL Law Firm www.dallawfirm.com located in Normandy Park, WA. Darcel is a Bankruptcy, Estate Planning & Probate, and Real Estate Law attorney. We cover important items around how Covid-19 has impacted small business owners and how they can get assistance BEFORE actually having to consider bankruptcy. What is a “personal guaranty” and the impact of...
Mar 20, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 215
In the episode of Open House with Team Reba, Eric and Reba conclude their “changes” series by digging deeper into the impact of recent revisions to lending and home purchase forms. There are over 34,000 agents in Washington state (some of whom may well be the world’s worst.) If your realtor doesn’t have a clue about the demands of these forms, you could end up losing your shirt. Listening to this show, you'll learn how some forms can put your money at risk, what it is about the Northwest th...
Mar 13, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 214
This is part 1 in a series of “changes” broadcasts where Eric and Reba dive into the ramifications of significant recent modifications to both home purchasing contracts, and the real estate and lending industries. You’ll come away from this show more familiar with the concept of agency, and particularly the ethical dilemmas arising from dual-agency. You’ll also get a better idea about reforms underway in agent compensation, and why that’s a good thing. But not all changes are good for everyone.....
Mar 06, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 213
Competition in the housing market is ferocious, resulting in some would-be homebuyers spending months on an unsuccessful search! In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric examine best tactics for making the winning bid, and dangers to avoid along the way. Learn what you should expect from a buyer's agent in the bidding process, the risks of underestimating your closing date, what TRID is, what escalation is, and why “highest and best” on an offer is not good idea (and neither is waiving ...
Feb 27, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 212
On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric cover everything from the impact of marital status on house transactions, to the importance of good relationships between inspectors and vendors, to some of the things you need to be keeping an eye on whether you’re shopping for a new home or just looking over your own. Learn about the unintended consequences of urban sprawl, overflowing gutters, crumbling chimney masonry, along with tips for protecting your home in ugly weather (and tips for driving ...
Feb 20, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 211
Real Estate scammers are a special kind of evil. They really aren’t equal-opportunity targeters. They’re not even going after the generally gullible. Their sights are set on the elderly, grieving or otherwise vulnerable, and that’s why they need to be stopped. In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric examine a number of scams designed to take advantage of seniors and the bereaved. Keep your eyes open for these tell-tale signs, because sooner or later they’re likely to come after you or a lov...
Feb 13, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 210
Insurance is one of the few things in life that you buy hoping never to use - notwithstanding folks who make insurance claims in lieu of regular home maintenance – a reason rates are going up for everyone. In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric tap into four decades of insurance expertise with guest Gail Welfringer of First Mark Insurance. You’ll come away from this show with a better sense of available options vis-a-vis rates, deductibles and coverage, how insurance companies assess wheth...
Feb 06, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 209
Searri Shipman from Inside Out Tax & Accounting www.insideouttaxhelp.com – How will COVID-19 affect tax returns this year? Listen in while Searri runs us through the ins and outs of tax returns and Covid, deductions which can be taken and the discussion of whether or not extensions may occur this year, like in 2020. Small business owners will want to hear about PPP and EIDL tax requirements as well as IRS, SBA and stimulus bill details. The CARES Act also comes into play for anyone who is ma...
Jan 30, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 208
