Buying a home is particularly challenging right now and it's not getting any easier. Would-be homebuyers are socked with a one-two punch of high interest rates and legions of lousy realtors. But don’t let that prevent you from entering the market – just make sure you go in educated! On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric take an intense look at these issues and offer their expert advice for navigating these troubled waters. You’ll come away from the show learning: · The dynamics influ...
Apr 09, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Senior abuse is a rampant, underreported crime impacting thousands, and leaving victims heartbroken and destitute. In this episode of Open House, Eric and Reba explore this tragic subject - in particular as it relates to abuses in real estate and finance - with Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney of King County, Page Ulrey. You’ll learn: · The kinds of criminal abuses recognized by prosecutors. · The challenge prosecutors have in proving a financial exploitation crime. · The most typical circumst...
Apr 05, 2022•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast What happens when a code compliance officer with a penchant for mysteries uncovers an animal hoarding case - and a dead body? If this sounds like an amateur sleuth mystery novel, that’s because – Da Da DAAAAA… it is. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric dig into some of the intricacies of literary real estate with novelist and writing instructor, Leslie Hall, as they explore the fictional North Seattle town of Cedar Grove (based on the real city of Mountlake Terrace), and take a look at ...
Mar 26, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric welcome guest Sharon Knowles of Arch Mortgage Insurance to provide her expertise on the subject of PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance), and its importance in qualifying for certain kinds of loans. You’ll learn: - How PMI can make the difference in qualifying for a loan - The relationship between PMI and down payment. - Factors for determining how expensive your PMI is. - The conditions that allow you to drop your PMI. - Ways to adjust PMI to lower your m...
Mar 19, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast The dream of buying a home or investment property may be frightful with prices soaring, markets uncertain, and world events trending towards chaos. But wealth opportunities abound for anyone with the guts to take the leap. Are you ready to finally enjoy a new pad of your own? Or will you be stuck in a swamp of endless leasing? In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric begin their conversation by dissecting the local housing market (sans formaldehyde), before welcoming their guest, Doug Warren...
Mar 12, 2022•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast No matter how perfect the home, a thorough inspection will always turn up something - even if it’s just cosmetic. But the professional home inspector won’t obsess over the “lipstick” not matching the skin tones of the “pig” when secret disasters lurk about walls, floors, ceilings, pipes, drains, wiring and foundations. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric welcome Lisa Lotus of Taurus Home Inspections to share her expertise on the home inspection process. You’ll learn: What the inspection...
Mar 05, 2022•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Looking to upgrade your home’s appearance for selling, for Airbnb or simply for personal enjoyment? You’ve come to the right place! In this episode, Eric and Reba discuss home interior design with Wendy Fisher of Wendy Fisher Interiors. You’ll learn: · What to expect when working with an interior designer. · Some of the hottest trends in interiors. · Designs and materials that speak uniquely to Northwestern living. · The complications of duplicating “Pinterest” dream designs (and when a “reinter...
Feb 26, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you don't move confidently, you could miss out. On this episode, Reba and Eric take a look at the role of confidence and fear in the market and the home buying process, and provide you the advice you need for leveraging these dynamics to your highest benefit. You’ll come away from this episode with answers to such questions as: · What is inflation psychology, and how does it impact the housing market? · Why are a good deal of agents firing their home-buying clients? · What actions should...
Feb 19, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast What do waterfront property bulkheads and Eric Aasness have in common? They both should probably be considered old (but hopefully they’ve got many years left). On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric cover a birthday banquet of topics, from waterfront property risks, to insurance tips, to home inspection pointers. You’ll come away from this podcast learning: · The different kinds of waterfront properties, and some of the risks that accompany them. · A list of the many factors that make bulk...
Feb 12, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast What do classic cars at the Barrett-Jackson auction and properties throughout the region (and across the country) have in common? They’re both getting substantially higher bids than just a few years ago. But this is not only not unexpected – it’s not a bad thing, because it means you’ll be in a great position when you go to sell down the road! On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric take a look at the dynamics of the housing market and offer important advice on leveraging them to your benef...
Feb 05, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast What are you doing with the equity you’re sitting on? Unfortunately, some folks have no equity to sit on because their clueless ‘Uncle Joe’ told them to wait for prices to drop, but that won’t be happening. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric examine the wide variety of changes to the housing market over the past few years, along with the factors driving people to sell their investment property in the greater Seattle area (principally city ordinances pressuring landlords and the relentl...
Jan 29, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Buying investment property is a smart idea. Selling investment property… maybe not so much UNLESS you do a 1031 tax deferred exchange. On this episode of Open House with Team Reba, Reba and Eric are joined once again by Phil David of Benash Real Property Exchange to talk about 1031 Property Exchanges. You’ll learn: · How the process of a 1031 exchange works. · How to calculate your capital gains taxes. · How to calculate the massive savings a 1031 could provide you. · How long you’ll have to com...
Jan 22, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Real estate love letters can cause a lot of pain – much like the ones drunk-texted to an old flame. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric examine the processes involved in making winning offers, and particularly, the role these letters may play in the process. You’ll come away from the broadcast with a better understanding of: unconventional offers which may win the deal (ie, Seahawks tickets). the kinds of information you would – or would not – want to include in a love letter. the poten...
Jan 15, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Every new year brings new opportunities for assessment and adjustment - chances to take advantage of promising developments, or to dodge the prospects for an ugly turn. It all depends upon how loudly the winds of change will howl. In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric take a look both at their past predictions for 2021, along with the dynamics at work for their current predictions for 2022. You’ll come away from this broadcast understanding why the Fed plays a huge role in any predictions...
Jan 08, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Every home is a tome, and every borrower a tale. Unfortunately, cookie-cutter realtors and lenders make no distinction between a book of nursery stories and a volume of Stephen King terror. The consequences are horror-story fodder. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric explain why real estate and lending professionals need to be like crime scene investigators. Without this due diligence, a homebuyer can get eaten alive by a wolf in grandma’s clothing. You’ll come away from this broadcast ...
Dec 18, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Too many folks believe that once forbearance goes way, resulting foreclosures will bring down house prices, but it’s just not the case. On this broadcast of Open House, Reba and Eric go through the factors that make this very unlikely. Now is the best time to get financed for the home you’ve been thinking about. Get all the reasons why on this episode of Open House with Team Reba! Support the show
Dec 11, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Too many people assume a few late payments may have sabotaged their credit score, making home ownership an impossibility. It’s just not so. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric have Mike Olden back with American Reporting Company to go through some important changes that are increasing the odds of qualifying for a home loan, such as Fannie Mae now averaging the scores of two borrowers, instead of just going with the lower score. You'll come away from this broadcast with a better und...
Dec 04, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gas and food prices keep cranking upwards with the threat of inflation on the horizon (like the threat of a bellyache post-Thanksgiving feast)… but there’s still plenty to give thanks for and to be thankful to be aware of. Hear about it here! On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric give you both the good to be thankful for (like the continuation of low interest rates), the bad to be thankful to have over with (like income tax problems related to a certain ex-spouse’s bad record keeping), an...
Nov 27, 2021•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Clutter is the bane of successful living, but so many of us don’t have a clue about what it takes to get organized. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric welcome Rachel Smith of Neat Method, to offer some helpful tips for reclaiming space and restoring a sense of organization to your living spaces. Learn the impact of reordering your home, what good organization entails, how to tell when you've got too much stuff, and how Rachel works with the homeowners to craft a system that that b...
Nov 13, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric welcome back Gail Welfringer with First Mark Insurance in a discussion covering winterization safety checks for your home. These tips could save you anywhere from rain buckets of cash, to your very life. Tune in and get answers to questions like: What is the impact of the supply chain crisis on insurance claims? What actions can homeowners take for the best response from there insurance agents? What kind of impact can water damage have on homes? What ...
Nov 06, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you know what resource is the best kept secret for small businesses in Washington State? It’s SharedWork! In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric discuss the SharedWork program with Director, Rafael Colon and Coordinator, Leigh Rowley, an almost four-decades-old initiative enabling businesses to retain skilled employees during economic or seasonal downturns, by allowing them to cut hours and leverage unemployment insurance to help compensate the difference in employee income. Find out ho...
Oct 30, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast We don’t always get to plan what happens to us in life, but we can plan how to help our families once we are gone. On this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric, speak with Cameron Smock of Bonney Watson Funeral & Cremation Services, the longest running business in Washington State (founded in 1868). Every life is worth celebrating. How will you plan your celebration? Bonney Watson provides a list of resources for families who have lost a loved one, as well as an excellent brochure covering t...
Oct 27, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast November 1st 2021 is the planned start date of a new .58% tax on income earned in Washington state , designed to pay for long-term care costs not covered by Medicare or health insurance. Is this a reasonable measure to address a growing concern for society? Or a poorly planned government overreach? In this episode of Open House, Eric and Reba get the low down from the director of the Washington Cares Fund, Benjamin Veghte Ph.D. Listen in for answers to questions like: When will payouts begin? Wh...
Oct 23, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Open House with Team Reba, Reba and Eric discuss the complexities of landlord/tenant law with legal experts Robert Maxwell and Hamilton Gardiner with Holmquist & Gardiner, PLLC . Support the show
Oct 20, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fraud and scams are all over the place. Are you protected? In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric begin the show with a series of recent swindles that are taking in everyone from new homeowners to government bureaucrats. Learn what to look out for, and who to report scams to. In the second half of the broadcast, attorney J.D. Houvener discusses his patent law firm, Bold IP (www.boldip.com), and the process of getting patents, copyrights, trademarks and protecting trade secrets. If you&apos...
Oct 16, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Whet your appetite for sophisticated grub with this broadcast of Open House, as Eric and Reba have on Chef Tony Parker with Renton Technical College to discuss their culinary program and 2021 Celebrity Chef Dinner with Bravo’s Top Chef fan favorite, Shota Nakajima. Learn about the challenges required to enter a career in cuisine, what it takes to be a top sommelier, and how you could become a sous chef in 18 months. Plus market rates, appraisal info, and the real estate and lending information y...
Oct 09, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this broadcast of Open House, Eric and Reba continue their examination of condo ownership and financing, along with the important roles of a Condo Association (CA) and Home Owner's Association (HOA). You’ll come away from this episode understanding what causes a condo to deteriorate, what happens if you don’t pay your HOA or CA dues, what a Limited Review and Full Review mean in the context of condo financing, what an FHA loan may require on a condo, and much more. And for more informati...
Oct 02, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this broadcast of Open House, Eric and Reba take a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of condo ownership and financing, along with the positives of a strong Home Owner's Association (HOA) or Condo Association – as well as the negatives of weak ones. You’ll come away from this discussion with a better sense of the rules and laws governing condos, what role litigation is playing in the diminishing profitability of condominiums, how HOAs are SUPPOSED to work, how to adequately prepare for ho...
Sep 25, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast ... and the rules for winning in the real estate and lending game. In this episode, Reba and Eric discuss the importance of getting your forms filled out correctly, financing rules on ADUs (Auxiliary Dwelling Units) and DADUs (Detached Accessory Dwelling Units) and the liabilities that could come with photoshopping your home for listing. Never cut corners when it comes to following the guidelines, and if you need a hand, contact Team Reba: info@teamreba.com or 206-457-2984. Support the show...
Sep 18, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast What happens when you suddenly need a qualified valuation on a property for tax purposes? (People die sometimes. It’s a problem.) In this episode of Open House, Reba and Eric walk you through your options. There's always appraisers, but they're expensive, there are fewer of them, and they're often strapped for time in today's busy market. There's online resources like Zillow or Redfin, but you might get a figure off by more than $100K , which could have significant ramif...
Sep 11, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
