Realtor Conversations

Jennifer and Rick Scherek

Today we’re welcoming to the penthouse Jennifer and Rick Scherek, a husband and wife realtor team with Edina Realty. Rick and Jen are here to talk about the bizarre market we find ourselves in, family life, and making the deal perfect for clients.

 

In this episode:

• Why Jennifer thinks “bizarre” is the perfect term to describe this market.
• Rick pinpoints the exact moment the market swung.
• Why the market has gone more in favor of buyers.
• The impact of the rate rises on the market.
• How the market is creating opportunities for both sellers and buyers.
• What it was like for buyer pools pre-rate hike.
• Why buyers can take their time purchasing in today’s market.
• Why Jen is happy about the market swing.
• About the premium on sales and the normalization of the market.
• Understanding the main points of today’s market and how it offers opportunities.
• The mourning period for sellers and coming out of it.
• Discussing the difference between the 2008 crash and now, including loans.
• Irresponsible lending and its consequences.
• The obvious downside and upsides of the COVID pandemic.
• Why it isn’t a bad time to buy or sell, it’s just a different time.
• About Jens’ switch from flight attendant to real estate.
• How Rick joined Jen in realty.
• Getting away from the grind of the corporate world.
• How Rick and Jen stay neutral in their business.
• The benefits of growing up in the area.
• About Rick and Jen’s family life.

 

Contact Jen and Rick:

Email: JenniferandRickScherek@edinarealty.com

Phone: 651-558-6139

Wade Hanson

Our guest in the penthouse today is Wade Hanson from RE/MAX Results in Woodbury. He is also considered to be a local celebrity. Wade is here this time to discuss the ongoing market fluctuations, economic fears, and what makes a successful and professional realtor.

 

In this episode:

• What is Wade seeing in the market at the moment? Is the sky falling, as some would have us believe?
• How rates are dissuading people from buying.
• The rise of economic fear.
• Price points versus rates = opportunity.
• How Americans are monthly-payment oriented.
• Why sellers are concerned about what the market holds.
• Understanding the value that is available as a buyer right now.
• Willing to be patient as an agent.
• Why deal chasing isn’t the way forward.
• Becoming a resource for your clients.
• Wade’s story of leaving college and going straight into real estate.
• The early years Wade experienced in the industry with his parents’ small construction company.
• Why real estate has been Wade’s only career.
• Wade’s appearance on The Apprentice and what he learned from his time on the show.
• What was the process like getting on to the show?
• The importance of hard work.
• What is Donald Trump like when the cameras are off?
• Why Wade is successful and what his client base looks like.
• Wade’s listing percentage versus buyers.
• The new crop of property companies that do the bare minimum and why they may not survive the new economy.
• How Wade is dealing with the economic changes.
• Understanding the value of a true professional.
• About Wade’s family life and other life experiences.

 

Contact Wade:

www.wadehanson.com

Grant Farnum

Joining us in the penthouse today is Grant Farnum from Pederson Realty. Grant is here to discuss his journey into real estate, his past life as a podcaster, and why you need to educate your clients every step of the way. He also lets us know what he’s seeing in the market due to the recent interest rate hikes.

 

In this episode:

• About Grant’s old podcast.
• Grant’s 9 years of sobriety.
• How long it took for Grant to go full-time as an agent.
• About Grant’s dedication and work ethic.
• What trends has Grant been seeing in the market?
• The reasons why buyers are regaining some control over what they want.
• How prices are becoming more negotiable and buyers can become pickier.
• Is it better to get back into the market for buyers now?
• The importance of providing education to both sellers and buyers.
• When to tell clients about re-financing and why it is advantageous in certain situations.
• What is the average length of a loan?
• Why use Grant and Pederson Realty?
• Obtaining a license to operate in Wisconsin.
• All about Grant’s tattoos and why he compares them to mortgages.
• What tattoos would the Bell Mortgage crew get?
• How Grant’s journey through recovery has applied to his realtor career.
• What’s involved in working on yourself.
• Why you shouldn’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know.
• Learning from the experiences of others and passing on knowledge.
• About the Pederson Pumpkin Patch coming up on October 28^th.

 

Contact Grant:

www.pedersonrealty.com

grant@pedersonrealty.com

612-619-2666

Dan Peinovich

In the penthouse today is Dan Peinovich, Head of Construction Lending with Bell Bank. Dan is going to share his knowledge on why construction loans are necessary, why Bell does it best compared to all others, and the differences between construction loans and financing versus purchasing a pre-existing home.

 

In this episode:

• What Dan does at Bell Bank.
• How Dan’s role sets Bell Bank apart from other construction lenders.
• What makes the Bell Bank construction lending department so effective for builders?
• About some of the programs that the department offers.
• Working to make Bell Bank the preeminent construction lender nationwide.
• How Bell works to keep learning to stay ahead of the game.
• Understanding why construction lending is necessary and how it’s different from a typical mortgage.
• How Bell Bank Construction Lending saves clients’ money.
• Learning to effectively combine end loan and construction loan services.
• Why it’s important to have a dedicated construction lending team.
• About Dan’s 30-year experience in lending.
• Bell’s status as the bank with the most construction lending in the state.
• Explaining the finer points and sticking points of construction lending.
• Why Bell strives to offer a menu of options for lending.
• Mastering the technical proficiency to offer consumers options.
• Is a construction loan more difficult to qualify for than a standard house loan?
• Differences between construction transactions and pre-existing home transactions.
• The problems with getting construction loans from an inexperienced broker.
• Can you lock in and protect rates long-term with Bell?
• How Bell allows you to take advantage of fluctuating rates.

Tami Hedrick

Joining the podcast today is Tami Hedrick from The Property Geeks Lakeville and eXp Realty. Tami is going to tell us her amazing background from being Mrs. Minnesota, to hosting on The Home Shopping Network, coaching the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders for two decades and her journey to real estate and philanthropic work.

 

In this episode:

• About the name Property Geeks, as well as the Chief Geek.
• How many people are on the Property Geeks team?
• What area does the Property Geeks cover?
• The advantages of working on a large, collaborative team of seasoned realtors.
• Tami’s past life with Shop NBC and Shop HQ, plus her tenure as Mrs. Minnesota.
• Why Tami loves to wear many hats and work 24/7.
• Tami’s history with the Minnesota Vikings.
• About Tami’s love of coaching and dance.
• What it was like being a cheerleader and cheer coach for the Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders.
• Cheerleaders versus the military: the fun rivalry the team and soldiers would have on military tours.
• How Tami’s past experiences translate into working in real estate.
• The importance of agility and adaptability in real estate.
• What is going on in the real estate market right now?
• The competitive nature of mid-price points in the current market.
• Moving into the next phase of the market post-COVID.
• Interest rates and how they are continuing to impact the market.
• How FHA has become more competitive.
• Tami’s guilty pleasure.
• Why Elvis is such a big part of Tami’s life.
• Tami’s involvement in the American Heart Association.
• Agents That Matter and the importance of giving back.
• Myth-busting real estate.
• Why you must have realistic expectations and patience when buying or selling.

 

Contact Tami:

Cell phone: 952-221-0488

Instagram: @successwithTami

Email: Tami@thepropertygeeks.com

Kate Hamilton

Today we are joined by Kate Hamilton with eXp Realty and Custom One Homes. Kate is here to talk about the reputation of Custom One Homes, building custom properties, and why it is so important to give back to the community.

 

On this episode:

• About Kate’s job titles with eXp and Custom One Homes.
• Kate’s history with Bell Mortgage.
• How Kate first got involved with real estate.
• Kate’s role as a new construction rep with Custom One Homes.
• The history of Custom One Homes and their expansion.
• The regional reach of construction brands.
• Learning how to engage a new community.
• The biggest change Kate has seen since starting in real estate.
• Changing trends in customization.
• How the size of new builds has changed over the last few years.
• About the changing design layouts of homes.
• How the evolution of the family is affecting new builds.
• What Custom One Homes does differently from their competitors.
• The importance of client relationships.
• Educating clients to create the best home for them.
• How a home is intellectual property.
• Why pricing has been a problem for builders.
• How long a typical build process lasts and the factors that impact this.
• Working with an interior designer.
• The challenges in offering altogether custom builds.
• Kate and Custom One Homes’ involvement in philanthropy.
• Supporting youth programs in the area.
• How you too can help support charity drives.
• Kate’s role as President of Housing First’s foundation.
• Why Kate feels a strong need to give back.

 

Contact Kate:

Cell: 651-274-1403

Email: Kate@customonehomesmn.com

Mark Johnson

Joining us for this episode is Mark Johnson from Keller Williams Integrity Edina. Mark is here to talk about hockey, buying new construction homes, and what it’s like to participate in Red Day for the families of the area.

 

On this episode:

• About Mark’s incredible fashion sense.
• Saying hi to Jessica, our new business development manager.
• Mark’s love of hockey.
• How is the market right now?
• Are people getting nervous about the current rates and where they are going?
• Why everybody still has to move.
• What programs are available, and finding the right one.
• Why buyers are having problems accepting rate changes.
• What makes Bell Mortgage so special?
• About Mark’s illustrious hockey coaching career.
• What it’s like coaching at a high school.
• How hockey coaching translates into working in real estate.
• Transitioning from coaching kids to selling real estate.
• The important role communication plays in coaching and real estate.
• Why you need to make the effort to explain the reasons behind problems that arise when buying or selling.
• Why honesty is paramount in real estate and coaching.
• About Mark’s background in construction?
• Why a construction background is an advantage in selling real estate.
• The advantages of buying a new build over an existing house.
• Why you need an advocate as a buyer.
• The cost of hiring a realtor.
• Offering options to buyers.
• The advantage of being able to foresee future issues.
• Why it’s useful to have family all over the country.
• Planning ahead for what your kids may need in a house.
• All about Red Day.

 

Contact Mark:

Phone: 952 270 5997

Website: https://www.markjohnsonsellshomes.com

Anton Martinez

In the penthouse for this episode is Anton Martinez, who is part of the Snyder Team with eXp Realty. Anton joins us to discuss custom build homes, the problems with low inventory in the market, and navigating interest rates when purchasing your home.

On this episode:

• Where is Anton licensed to operate?
• About Anton’s sharp dress sense and his life before real estate.
• How his previous career has informed his current work.
• Does Anton work with existing and new construction work?
• About the custom build homes.
• How is the current inventory for model homes?
• About the remaining model home that is currently available for purchase.
• About The Royal development phase 2.
• The Royal Club as a venue.
• About Anton’s family life, including his children.
• How will Anton and his wife be celebrating their upcoming anniversary?
• How did Anton begin working with Custom One?
• Taking advantage of opportunities to create more.
• What is the current market looking like?
• About lack of inventory.
• What is the impact of interest rates in the market right now? Are they scaring people off?
• How can you mitigate interest rates?
• What products could you take advantage of from Bell Mortgage to help you close on your new house?
• Why it isn’t always what you know, it’s who you know.
• Why Anton is an advocate for The Core training and coaching.
• What resources are available to realtors from The Core.
• Why accountability is important in real estate.
• The importance of breaking down your day-to-day.

 

Contact Anton:

Cell phone: 952-334-6022

Email address: anton.martinez@thesnyderteam.com 

Sami Romanecz and Aaron Johnson

In today’s episode, we are joined by Sami Romanecz and Aaron Johnson who have both just joined Demyan Trofimovich at his eXp group. Sami and Aaron will tell us all about their journey to real estate and what the future holds for them at eXp.

On this episode:

• A brief conversation about favorite movies.
• About Aaron’s other career in baseball, and how athletic backgrounds translate to real-world situations.
• How Sami and Aaron joined Demyan Trofimovich.
• About Sami and Aaron’s previous work at Self Esteem Brands.
• How Sami and Aaron met.
• Transitioning to real estate and what it was like when starting out.
• Showcasing their success.
• What are the current market trends?
• A day in the life of Sami and Aaron.
• What are the most popular questions they get from clients?
• Inventory and demand trends, including buyer frenzy.
• The difficulty of finding the right home for your buyers right now.
• What the process looks like for sellers at the moment.
• Making things simpler for both buyers and sellers.
• Where are more homes available right now in the area?
• Property availability in Wisconsin.
• Why choosing the right real estate agent matters.
• Dealing with higher rates.
• How the pandemic affected rates.
• Average lifetime of a mortgage and how you can negotiate lower rates.
• Tips for today’s real estate landscape.
• Understanding that there are a lot of offers being made all the time.
• Creating good agent and broker relationships

 

Contact Aaron and Sami:

Aaron’s phone number: 6513012335

Aaron’s email address: Adjohnsonrealestate@gmail.com

Sami’s phone number: 6512478384

Sami’s email address: Samiromanecz@gmail.com

Jake Eider

Joining us in the penthouse for this episode is Jake Eider with RE/MAX Results. Jake is here to discuss his path to real estate, his love of sport, and what you need to know for today’s market.

 

On this episode:

• The origins of Jake’s family name.
• About Jake’s journey to the penthouse today and what he was doing before joining us.
• How Jake ended up working in real estate.
• The history of RE/MAX in the area.
• What work Jake did at RE/MAX Duluth.
• Was it always a dream to work in real estate?
• Who introduced Jake to real estate?
• About Jake’s timeline after getting his license.
• About Jake’s extra-curricular hockey coaching activity.
• Why coaching hockey in high school is better than pee-wee.
• How coaching translates into the real estate industry.
• How the market affects people’s attitudes.
• Does Jake advertise in hockey rinks?
• How does Jake get leads, does he utilize his hockey network at all?
• How having a family helps you to be an agent.
• Is hockey allowed in the house?
• What does Jake’s brother do?
• Growing up with a professional athlete.
• The table-tennis rivalry in the family.
• The ins and outs of table tennis.
• Why there wasn’t a table tennis table in the house growing up.
• What is going on in the market right now?
• What should people looking to buy or sell know right now?
• Why you need creative offers.
• The benefits of Bell.
• Is it more important now than ever to have an experienced agent on your side?

 

Contact Jake:

Phone number: 952-393-5253

Website: realestatewithjake.com