Thoughts about the recent real estate commission lawsuits. In real estate transactions, there's a lot of adversarial language. It's buyer versus seller and agents negotiating against each other and winning and losing, etc. No wonder we've come to a place where sellers come out and say, "wait a minute, why am I paying a commission for the other side to have representation?" I get that frustration. 

So, let's talk about it. In today's episode I present a viewpoint that illustrates why saying "sellers pay commission at closing" is a narrow way to think of what's going on with commissions. I want to give a more holistic perspective on the cooperative nature of real estate practices (counter to the typical adversarial language that we often hear). Let's talk about how these practices are to the benefit of buyers AND sellers, and further how they protect and promote equity and balance in the marketplace. 

Hi. I’m Nova. If you already know that, please think of this as a bit of a reintroduction. A lot has changed in the past ~12 months, and I can't wait to catch you up! I have so much in the works this season and I plan to cover it all-- from sustainability in real estate to the wild ride that has been interest rates to affordable housing here in Greater Portland. So follow along and hey, thanks for listening! Follow me on instagram @forrealestatepodcast

Brian Robinson, VP at Evergreen Home Performance and I chat about what home performance is all about. Importantly we identify the order of operations to improving it and why it matters. Do not go straight for the big shiny improvements like heat pumps and solar. You might regret it if you do! Brian talks about common misconceptions, especially how comfort in your home is not simply determined by air temperature. And he gives us a look at what costs locals can expect and how to offset those costs with incentives. Anyone want a 50% off coupon? I do! And if you take nothing else from this episode, I want you to remember that "weatherization IS sexy, Brian."

What's not to like??? Removing plastic from the ocean. Check. Innovating building materials and bringing the manufacturing home to Maine. Check.  Building affordable. Check check. Ben Davis and team at OpBox design and manufacture their own building material called EDURA. It's an insulated and structural composite panel system made from recycled PET plastics-- water bottles! I was taken by OpBox from the moment I held a sample of their innovative EDURA material in my hands. Ben offered me the unique opportunity to temporarily convert one of these OpBox structures built from recycled plastics into a mobile podcast studio to kick off our Sustainability in Real Estate Series.

Tess O'Brien, VP of Partnerships at EnergySage, and I sit down to discuss the challenges of shopping for rooftop and ground mounted solar, community solar supplied energy, heat pumps, and more. EnergySage is a user friendly platform helping homeowners AND renters beat those challenges with educational resources, and creating an apples to apples comparison between services. Users can collect competitive bids, check for financial incentives and rebates, and purchase their project with verified and credible contractors. I am so beyond excited that they even have options for renters through their community solar listings. Listen to the episode and to see it for yourself by visiting the website EnergySage.

In today's episode I will be sharing some very BIG news: I've moved over to Waypoint Brokers Collective as broker and partner! I can't say enough about this shift. 

That aside, I'll be diving into a beast of a topic today-- let's call it a micro economic / macro market mashup. We're talking market bubble and beyond. 

In times of rate hikes, lenders adapt with promotions and incentives to make mortgages more attractive and accessible. Lately I've been seeing a lot of creativity in lending. And before you get any ideas, I'm not talking about the predatory creativity of the early oughts. With today's regulations, creative lending means opportunity. On this episode I talk with lender Cyndi Veroneau at Caliber Home Loans to learn about some of the creative mortgage hacks available to buyers and sellers to get their rates and loan fees down.

Today we review market stats of the Greater Portland market and discuss some thoughts on buyer strategy for offering on properties when there is no defined offer timeline. We talk about what constitutes a good deal in this market and strategies around offering below asking, at asking, and above asking. We also talk other terms that are negotiable like closing costs and points. 

Today we talk about pricing strategies for sellers in this new market where supply and demand are coming into better equilibrium. In these shifting times, sellers need experience and wisdom to maximize their sale outcome. I'll share my thoughts, as well as some ideas from my fellow brokers at the Portside Midyear Meeting last month. 

This is Part 1 of a two-part episode recapping the recent Portside Midyear Event. This episode focuses on a presentation given by Amanda Rector on the condition of the Maine Economy. You’ll hear trends about pandemic fueled demographic changes, what’s up with employment, forecasting for inflation, Maine’s plan and emergency fund for recession protection, and more.