REAL Smart is a podcast about real estate for real estate industry folks — REALTORS®, real estate agents, lenders, closing and title folks, real estate investors, and hey, anyone looking to learn a little more about real estate…and get REAL(ly)* Smart.
Join REALTOR® Maura Neill and Real Estate Attorney Cheryl King as they discuss all things real estate -- sometimes they agree, and sometimes they don't (but it's more fun that way, isn't it?). Coming to your ears October 2022, wherever you listen to podcasts!
*Fellow grammar nerds...we hear you.
CHERYL KING: Cheryl is a real estate closing attorney the Director of the Infinity Institute. She frequently provide presentations to attorneys, mortgage companies and real estate companies on negotiation, financing, loan fraud, contract creation, contract interpretation, cybersecurity, and social media. She is a certified instructor for the Georgia Association of REALTOR®’s Partners in Education Department.
She co-hosted the Home Radio real estate radio show on iHeart Radio and currently co-hosts the REALsmart real estate podcast. She published a monthly newsletter on Linkedin and on her smartstips.com website.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. While attending the University of Richmond, she was the Managing Editor of the Journal of Law and Technology and was named the University of Richmond’s “Woman Lawyer of the Year” by the National Association of Women Lawyers.
She and her husband are both Louisiana State University alumnae and there daughter is currently at LSU studying engineering and computer science.
MAURA NEILL (ABR, AHWD, CRS, e-PRO, MRP, PSA, MA): Maura is a second-generation REALTOR® who combines her love for the industry with her passion for education. Before getting into the real estate business in 2001, Maura previously taught at Florida State University and the University of Phoenix. She is an active agent with RE/MAX Around Atlanta, leading her team and representing buyers and sellers on a day-to-day basis, and considers education – both clients and other real estate agents – an important part of her role as a REALTOR®.
Maura is sought-after nationally for leadership training and as a real estate speaker and instructor on subjects such as emotional intelligence, problem-solving and goal setting, negotiation strategies, and customer service and client retention. She was the Lead Instructor and Subject Matter Expert for NAR’s Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification and for the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) elective class, “Generating Buyer and Seller Leads: Capture, Qualify, and Convert.”
In 2021, she was a member of the NAR Leadership Team, serving as President Charlie Oppler’s Public and Federal Issues Liaison, and policy, RPAC, and advocacy are a strong focus in her business and work as a REALTOR® volunteer; she is involved on the national, state, and local levels. Peer recognitions include the 2020 CRS National President’s Award and the 2015 Atlanta REALTOR® of the Year. Maura is a 2016 graduate of the NAR Leadership Academy, a Platinum R RPAC investor, a member of RPAC President’s Circle, and was honored at the $50k level of the NAR RPAC Hall of Fame in 2022.
Maura lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with her husband Ben, and their Beagles Charlie, Jarvis, and Bebe.
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REAL Smart is a podcast about real estate for real estate industry folks — REALTORS®, real estate agents, lenders, closing and title folks, real estate investors, and hey, anyone looking to learn a little more about real estate…and get REAL(ly)* Smart.
Join REALTOR® Maura Neill and Real Estate Attorney Cheryl King as they discuss all things real estate -- sometimes they agree, and sometimes they don't (but it's more fun that way, isn't it?). Coming to your ears October 2022, wherever you listen to podcasts!
*Fellow grammar nerds...we hear you.
CHERYL KING: Cheryl is a real estate closing attorney the Director of the Infinity Institute. She frequently provide presentations to attorneys, mortgage companies and real estate companies on negotiation, financing, loan fraud, contract creation, contract interpretation, cybersecurity, and social media. She is a certified instructor for the Georgia Association of REALTOR®’s Partners in Education Department.
She co-hosted the Home Radio real estate radio show on iHeart Radio and currently co-hosts the REALsmart real estate podcast. She published a monthly newsletter on Linkedin and on her smartstips.com website.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. While attending the University of Richmond, she was the Managing Editor of the Journal of Law and Technology and was named the University of Richmond’s “Woman Lawyer of the Year” by the National Association of Women Lawyers.
She and her husband are both Louisiana State University alumnae and there daughter is currently at LSU studying engineering and computer science.
MAURA NEILL (ABR, AHWD, CRS, e-PRO, MRP, PSA, MA): Maura is a second-generation REALTOR® who combines her love for the industry with her passion for education. Before getting into the real estate business in 2001, Maura previously taught at Florida State University and the University of Phoenix. She is an active agent with RE/MAX Around Atlanta, leading her team and representing buyers and sellers on a day-to-day basis, and considers education – both clients and other real estate agents – an important part of her role as a REALTOR®.
Maura is sought-after nationally for leadership training and as a real estate speaker and instructor on subjects such as emotional intelligence, problem-solving and goal setting, negotiation strategies, and customer service and client retention. She was the Lead Instructor and Subject Matter Expert for NAR’s Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification and for the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) elective class, “Generating Buyer and Seller Leads: Capture, Qualify, and Convert.”
In 2021, she was a member of the NAR Leadership Team, serving as President Charlie Oppler’s Public and Federal Issues Liaison, and policy, RPAC, and advocacy are a strong focus in her business and work as a REALTOR® volunteer; she is involved on the national, state, and local levels. Peer recognitions include the 2020 CRS National President’s Award and the 2015 Atlanta REALTOR® of the Year. Maura is a 2016 graduate of the NAR Leadership Academy, a Platinum R RPAC investor, a member of RPAC President’s Circle, and was honored at the $50k level of the NAR RPAC Hall of Fame in 2022.
Maura lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with her husband Ben, and their Beagles Charlie, Jarvis, and Bebe.
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On this episode of REAL Smart, Maura and Cheryl are joined by Jack Cotton, CRS, a leading expert on luxury real estate and a REALTOR® in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Jack will be visiting the Georgia REALTORS® on September 9 at our Annual Conference to teach the Residential Real Estate Council's class, "Succeeding in the Luxury Home Market" and joined the podcast to discuss the luxury real estate market, the effects on luxury of the NAR lawsuit proposed settlement, client service, and "The Treehouse Feeling."
You can find out more about Jack (and see his video on "The Treehouse Feeling") on Jack's website, www.jackcottonrealtor.com.
You can sign up for the "Succeeding in the Luxury Home Market" class at GAR's Annual Conference on September 9, 2024, here (but hurry -- seats are selling quickly): https://garportal.ramcoams.net/Education/Registration/Details.aspx?cid=0b92deda-21f1-ee11-9e94-00155d23443a
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On this episode of REAL Smart, Maura and Cheryl dig into the new temporary rule change for VA-eligible borrowers, released from the Department of Veterans Affairs on June 11, 2024, which goes into effect August 10, 2024. What does this rule change mean for VA_eligible home buyers? What does it mean for agents? How will it change your process with your buyers? And is it really temporary? (The answer to this last one is YES.) Settle in for an in-depth discussion of how to prepare yourself to best prepare yourself and your VA buyers for success!
FOR YOUR REFERENCE:
VA Circular, dated June 11, 2024: https://www.benefits.va.gov/HOMELOANS/documents/circulars/26-24-14.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1-ND3de9u_CjfJ71ODjXkv4ijnJBwcR4NKXPT-Qwl7T_6TCjfpEvIgnBo_aem_WBttxhkO1mIVchUFCiGI-g
VA Lender Handbook - Chapter 8: Borrower Fees and Charges and the VA Funding Fee
https://benefits.va.gov/WARMS/docs/admin26/handbook/ChapterLendersHanbookChapter8.pdf
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WE'RE BACK! Maura and Cheryl are back with an exciting third season and lots to talk about. Kicking it off with an in-depth discussion of lead-based paint disclosure and the changes to the EPA's required form, as well as some strategy for how to follow the new requirements and how to make sure you're covering all your bases in real estate transactions involving properties built before 1978. Tune in and make sure you and your contracts are all compliant with the requirements and the new changes to the EPA's form.
A few resources we promised you in this episode:
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Back in December 2022, Maura and Cheryl brought you a disturbing episode on a new trend in Georgia (and several other states): companies preying on homeowners, offering small cash payouts in exchange for listing agreements (or options to list) for up to 40 years, creating liens on properties, and filing lawsuits demanding payouts when those properties change hands, even without their assistance in the sale or marketing of those homes. Thanks to REALTOR and Georgia State Representative Clint Crowe, this practice is now unlawful in Georgia, and other states are following suit. Join Maura and Cheryl as they discuss this new law and what it will now require for listing agreements and options to list to be lawful, as well as what is now required of real estate solicitations in the state.
40-Year Listing Agreements - December 2022 episode, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-smart-with-cheryl-king-and-maura-neill/id1649216459?i=1000590155875
Read the new law, here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Llyhb4TAp7HX_HxTnlC2QJ1WkwGpHsnr/view?usp=sharing
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It's that time of year! January 1 through (in most counties) April 1 is the time to file your Homestead Exemption for property taxes in Georgia! Join Maura and Cheryl as they talk through the basics of Homestead Exemption, how to file, how to create value-add reminders for your entire database of clients around this topic, and the all-important (and little known) Georgia Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Thanks for tuning in!
MORE RESOURCES:
Thomas & Brown, Attorneys at Law, information on homestead exemption by county: https://thomasandbrownlaw.com/resources/homestead-exemption/
Georgia Department of Revenue, filing a proeprty tax appeal: https://dor.georgia.gov/filing-property-tax-appeal
2015 - 2020 property tax appeal statistics: https://dor.georgia.gov/property-tax-appeal-statistics
Georgia Department of Revenue, information on Property Tax Homestead Exemptions: https://dor.georgia.gov/property-tax-homestead-exemptions
National Association of Counties list: https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/documents/Property%20Taxes%20A%20Look%20at%20Exemptions,%20Tax%20Limits%20and%20Assessment%20Cycles.pdf
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Maura and Cheryl welcome their first-ever guest, Brian Krebs with Alcova Mortgage, to talk about WHY and HOW real estate agents should have a list of trusted mortgage loan originator partners. What's in it for the agent? What's in it for the lender? And most importantly, what are some things that Brian (and frankly, probably all lenders) wish real estate agents knew about a loan officer's job and how to better communicate with consumers/interested homebuyers before they reach out to lenders to begin the preapproval process.
Have a question for Brian? Here's how you can reach him!
Brian Krebs
Branch Partner, Alcova Mortgage
NMLS ID# 62941
(404) 786-4513 C
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1978. Every real estate agent knows the significance of this year -- the year after which lead was no longer used in the manufacture of paint in the US. We have federally mandated EPA lead-based paint exhibits attached to our contracts (for sale and for lease) for all properties that were built prior to 1978, and the fines for incorrectly executed lead paint exhibits are cost-prohibitive enough to encourage that they be used correctly. But what are we missing in educating our clients about lead-based paint...and what are the consequences if we don't? Cheryl and Maura discuss some important ways real estate agents can be better for our clients.
Here's some follow-up reading for you:
EPA Information on Lead-Based Paint: https://www.epa.gov/lead
HGTV’s Christina Hall Reveals Diagnosis; https://www.newsweek.com/what-mercury-lead-poisoning-hgtv-christina-hall-reveals-diagnosis-1769224?amp=1
HGTV's Chip and Joanna Gains Will Pay Fine Over Lead Paint Violations: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/us/chip-joanna-gaines-fixer-upper-lead-paint.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Cleveland, OH Lead Paint Ordinance Info: https://www.clevelandohio.gov/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/BuildingHousing/LeadCertification
Philadelphia, PA Lead Paint Ordinance Info: https://www.phila.gov/2019-10-22-rental-property-lead-certification-law/
Why Lead Paint Still Haunts Industrial Cities in the US: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-29/why-lead-paint-still-haunts-industrial-cities-in-the-u-s
Settlement Reached in Lead Paint Death: http://archive.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2003/11/02/settlement_reached_in_lead_paint_death/
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HO HO HO! It's our BONUS episode on our Top 5 Favorite Hollywood Holiday Houses...er...Properties <wink>! We had so much fun delving into the history of the properties that feature in our favorite holiday movies -- we hope you get some fun nuggets, too! Be sure to check out the links below for SO MUCH MORE info on these properties... And to quote Cheryl, "we hope that you spend the holidays with everyone that you want to, and in the place that you want to." Happy Holidays, y'all -- see you in the New Year!
Home Alone:
https://parade.com/1273571/kaigreen/home-alone-house/
REALTOR.com: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/671-Lincoln-Ave_Winnetka_IL_60093_M88320-53321
Zillow: https://www.zillow.com/homes/671-Lincoln-Ave,-Winnetka,-IL-60093_rb/3360197_zpid/
A Christmas Story:
https://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/
Zillow: https://www.zillow.com/homes/3159-W-11th-St-Cleveland,-OH-44109_rb/33338086_zpid/
Elf: http://onthesetofnewyork.com/elf.html
National Lampoon Christmas Vacation:
https://houseandhistory.com/national-lampoons-christmas-vacation-house/
https://hookedonhouses.net/2009/12/20/griswold-house-national-lampoons-christmas-vacation/
Die Hard:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Plaza_(Los_Angeles)
https://la.curbed.com/2019/12/13/21011651/die-hard-christmas-building-name
https://gizmodo.com/i-went-to-die-hards-nakatomi-plaza-and-not-a-single-hos-1828012587/amp
https://www.dirt.com/feature/nakatomi-plaza-die-hard-century-city-1203357697/amp/
Sound effects credit: “Sleigh Bells Ringing” by Mike Koenig, which can be found on SoundBible, here.
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There's an old saying: "there's no such thing as a free lunch." Today's episode takes a look at something that all real estate agents and consumer need to know about -- companies offering small amounts of cash to homeowners who are in need of financial assistance in exchange for decades-long listing agreements, some as long as 40 years! Is this even legal? Is it ethical? Who is at risk for this type of targeting? Maura and Cheryl discuss what you need to know to educate yourself and your clients.
Georgia License Law - https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2020/title-43/chapter-40/section-43-40-25/
Here's some follow-up reading for you:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mv-realty-introduces-residential-real-150000054.html
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IT'S HERE! Cheryl and Maura's Inaugural Holiday Gift Guide, Part 2. Part 1 was our Gift Guide, our take on creative gifts for your favorite loan officer, broker, closing attorney, home inspector, co-op agent...and maybe a few things for you to throw under the tree for yourself. Join us for a cozy cocktail (yes, it's our first episode in a bar!) as we take you through our picks for those important people on your extended real estate team. Links for all of the items we mention are below in these Show Notes!
Part 2 is a little BONUS content for you on following the rules (like, the official ones, folks -- RESPA, real estate law) of giving. Hope you enjoy!
FIND (almost) ALL of our gift recommendations, here: https://a.co/aJLHBHf
And the awesome Conde Nast print Cheryl mentions can be found here: https://condenaststore.com/featured/you-seem-to-know-something-about-law-i-like-robert-weber.html
More on gift giving and an interview with Giftology author John Ruhlin: “The Art of Giving Gifts” on the Smart Passive Income podcast:
Sound effects credit: “Sleigh Bells Ringing” by Mike Koenig, which can be found on SoundBible, here.
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IT'S HERE! Cheryl and Maura's Inaugural Holiday Gift Guide -- our take on creative gifts for your favorite loan officer, broker, closing attorney, home inspector, co-op agent...and maybe a few things for you to throw under the tree for yourself. Join us for a cozy cocktail (yes, it's our first episode in a bar!) as we take you through our picks for those important people on your extended real estate team. Links for all of the items we mention are below in these Show Notes!
FIND (almost) ALL of our gift recommendations, here: https://a.co/aJLHBHf
And the awesome Conde Nast print Cheryl mentions can be found here: https://condenaststore.com/featured/you-seem-to-know-something-about-law-i-like-robert-weber.html
More on gift giving and an interview with Giftology author John Ruhlin: “The Art of Giving Gifts” on the Smart Passive Income podcast:
Sound effects credit: “Sleigh Bells Ringing” by Mike Koenig, which can be found on SoundBible, here.
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Cheryl and Maura tackle special stipulations -- those pesky contract "add-ons" that can make a contract stronger OR make it harder to enforce.
Don't forget to visit Cheryl's incredibly helpful website, www.smartstips.com, for more helpful tips!
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Title monitoring services? A necessity to protect your property or "a solution looking for a problem"? Maura and Cheryl discuss title fraud, title monitoring, and title insurance -- and what property owners (and agents) should be on the lookout for.
RESOURCES:
ADDITIONAL READING:
"Georgia gang inmate, 31, steals $11M while in max security jail after claiming to be billionaire" -- you can read it, here.
"How a Miami Couple Used Empty Mansions to Pocket Millions" -- you can read it, here.
"Fake Home Loans Land Perpetrators in Prison" -- you can read it, here.
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Haunted house? You need to know who to call...but more importantly, you need to know what you need to disclose when it's time to sell. Pull up a chair, grab a blanket and a candied apple, and get ready for the story of a ghostly sale and the court case that followed. From hauntings to other kinds of stigmatized properties, Maura and Cheryl dig into disclosure, starting with the New York court case that started it all, the infamous "Ghostbusters Ruling."
Want to keep digging? Here are some more resources for you:
Review the court case, here.
Read the original 1977 Reader’s Digest Article (with original page ads), here.
News articles when the house went back on the market in 2019, here and here and here.
Other podcast episodes about the house, here and here.
“Due to the infamous 'Ghostbusters Ruling,' this New York house is Legally Haunted on Ranker.com, click here.
Check out the house that led to the “Ghostbusters Ruling” on Zillow, click here.
DiedInHouse.com, click here.
ATTRIBUTION 3.0: This episode features royalty-free spooky sound effects, including "Backwards Souls" by Mike Koenig, which can be found on SoundBible, here, and also "Wind" by Mark DiAngelo, which can be found here.
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Maura and Cheryl dive into the concept of the pre-listing appraisal -- a handy tool for any agent's (and seller's) toolbox, especially in a shifting real estate market. They discuss the WHY and WHEN of the pre-listing appraisal and what to look for when choosing an appraiser for this type of consultation.
A few more resources:
Read Cheryl's recent newsletter on this topic via LinkedIn, click here.
Read Maura's recent blog post on pre-listing appraisals for shifting markets, click here.
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Get a sneak peek from Maura Neill and Cheryl King at REAL Smart, a new podcast about real estate for real estate industry folks — REALTORS, real estate agents, lenders, closing and title folks, real estate investors, and hey, anyone looking to learn a little more about real estate…and get REAL Smart. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Maura is a REALTOR and Cheryl is a closing attorney -- two perspectives on topics ranging from contracts to negotiation, client consultation, title issues, navigating mortgage options, and crazy “can you believe this really happened” stories…and so much more! Two practitioners, both of whom are instructors and educators with a passion for real estate, learning, teaching, and generally making the real estate world a better place for all of us…one podcast episode at a time.
Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts, and stay tuned! Coming October 2022!
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