EP 448: Waiting For Perfect Rates Might Cost You

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This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together.
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Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.
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Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
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Are you in need of a realtor?
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Well, one may be closer than you think.
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Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Lori Scott, with Lori Scott Realtor.
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Lori, it is lovely to have you on this morning.
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Now we are so excited to learn all about you and your business.
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Please start off by telling our listeners just a little bit more about your company.
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Yeah, I'm a residential real estate agent here in North Texas.
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And I have the privilege of helping buyers, sellers, and investors navigate one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
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I work with a wide range of clients, first-time home buyers, those that are relocating to the area, and seasoned investors that want to add to their portfolio.
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I'm also part of an incredible team here at Keller Williams McKinney.
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It's the Picket Fence team.
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We have over 45 years of combined experience, which means that my clients benefit not just from my knowledge, but from a strong network and support system behind the scenes.
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Really pride myself on being a market expert in this area and a trusted guide, especially for those moving into North Texas who might need insight beyond just the home itself.
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Wow, Lori.
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So with 45 years of experience, I am sure you come across some myths or misconceptions in your industry.
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And we'll get into those in a minute.
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But go ahead and first start off by telling us a little bit more about your background.
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Okay, so I'm just going to tell you a little bit about my journey and why I really enjoy helping out people in buying their homes.
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I've always loved connecting with others and helping them through meaningful life experiences, and real estate just became a natural way to do that in a deeper level.
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Before I got into real estate, I did work with people in insurance and investments.
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So I've always had an appreciation for financial pieces as well.
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And when you think about it, buying a home could be one of the largest investments a person makes in their lifetime.
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So being able to guide people through that, both personally and financially, is something I really take very serious.
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So really, it all comes together for my passion for people, helping them through important life moments and guiding them and making smart investments.
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That's really what led me to get into real estate.
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Wow.
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Wonderful, wonderful story.
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Now, as we were just talking about, you know, today, what is that number one misconception you come across as a realtor that you like to put to rest for our listeners?
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Well, one of the biggest things is they think it's a bad time to buy because of the interest rates.
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And while interest rates are higher than they were in the past few years, we saw them much lower in 21 and you know, 20 in that period of time.
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What we're seeing locally is that buyers actually have more opportunity right now.
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In many areas, especially Frisco and the surrounding areas around there, there's more inventory than we've had at this point.
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So, which this gives buyers more options and more negotiating power.
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They have things like seller concessions and rate buy-downs that are being more commonly used in today's purchases.
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I just want to mention there's another misconception, and that is home prices are dropping across the board.
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That may occur across the United States and other areas, but here in North Texas, we still see a strong demand because so many people are relocating to this area.
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So while the pace really has slowed down, home values in this area are still holding steady and they are going to continue to grow just at a more balanced rate.
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So while people are waiting for that perfect time to buy, I always tell my clients it's really more about timing your life than time in the market.
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Most certainly, most certainly.
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And since we're kind of jumping into the category of growth here, you know, marketing really is the heart of every business.
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So, you know, who are some of those ideal families or clients you're looking to help find that perfect home?
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And how are you attracting them?
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Well, one of the things I can say is that I have lived internationally in four different countries and in four different continents.
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And so I have the experience of relocating myself many times, and so I look at people that are looking at relocating in this area.
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I have a deep appreciation for like different cultures and perspectives, and so I truly enjoy meeting people from all areas of life, and that international experience I mentioned carries over into my business in a meaningful way.
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It helps me better understand and connect with clients who may be relocating from other areas or even other countries and to guide them into a little more insight and care.
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I also work a lot with first-time homebuyers.
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As I had four kids that have all grown and I really help them in their real estate transactions, I really enjoy teaching and helping them learn the whole process on what it takes to buy a home.
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In fact, our team offers a first home buyer seminar.
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Our next one will be April 16th, and we love to help people just educate them on what the process is to buy a home here in North Texas.
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Wow, Lori.
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Now you know education is so, so important.
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Have you ever thought about having your own podcast for the business just to help to educate potential clients?
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I hadn't at this time, but you know, it's really kind of fun to do this.
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Um, it might be a consideration.
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I do know we do work with a lot of people with our home buying seminars.
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We also, in addition to investment seminars, as I mentioned, I have been in investments before.
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And so I like to help people build their investment portfolio to provide generational wealth for their families.
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Amazing, amazing.
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Now, I do really love that mindset.
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Now, Lori, let's go ahead and jump into talking a little bit more about your business.
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So let's say, you know, I was one of your clients that was coming in, and you know, I asked you, Lori, as a first-time home buyer, what is the number one thing that I should know before having you as my realtor?
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The first number one thing that you should know is to get pre-qualified with a trusted mortgage lender, and I do have great referrals for that, and I talk to all my clients.
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Once you get pre-qualified, it gives you a good idea of what direction of really financial of where you'll be into buying a home.
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Without that, it kind of can be a little bit of a quandary of trying to figure out what area and what affordability that you're able to have.
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So I would suggest that they first talk to a mortgage lender and I can help them out with that.
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And once they do, then we get started talking about what they're looking for in their lifestyle so that we can find a place that really fits their needs and how they expect to, you know, live their life out in that home.
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Now, Lori, we've covered some great information today, but what our listeners really want to know is where can they go to learn more about Lori Scott Realtor?
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Well, you can reach me, you can text or call me at 972-435-4932, or you can email me at sold with Lori.
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That's S-O-L-D with L-O-R-I at KW.com.
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Also, since I mentioned I'm part of the Pickett Fence team, we do have a website.
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It's picketfensteam.com.
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And you can just reach me, even if you just forget all that, and you just want to reach out to Keller Williams McKinney, and they will direct you to me.
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I'm also on social media and I would love to connect with you there.
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So if you're in North Texas or planning to move here real quick, I would love the opportunity to work with you.
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Well, Lori, I really appreciate you being on the show today.
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We wish you and your business the best moving forward.
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Well, thank you, Sophia.
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You've been a gracious hostess, and I've really enjoyed our time together.
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Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
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To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNP Frisco dot com.
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That's GNP Frisco dot com or call four six nine two two two two two two two two two two two two one nine three four five.