Rates are near record lows and everyone should be taking advantage of it. If your mortgage is over 4% consider getting in touch with your lender and see how much money refinancing could save you even if you got your loan just a few years ago. Today Joe shares the top 5 reasons to refinance:

• Refinancing over 4%

• Reamortizing your loan without going backwards

• Consolidating multiple loans

• Modify to a different loan program or amortization schedule

• Remodels, add-ons, repay debt and more

The market keeps ticking up and buyers are finding their options are dwindling once again. Silicon Valley continues to prove it’s a crazy place where first time home buyers are looking for homes priced around $1million instead of the sub $400,000 range the rest of the country deals with. Coming up with $200,000 for a down payment is no easy feat and buyers are turning to creative financing options to get their foot into their very first home. Today Joe and Mike share their checklist of buyer’s options.

A new survey of consumers has shown that many of us don’t trust mortgage lenders and banks. It’s not really surprising with satisfaction ratings amongst mortgage servicers ranking below life insurance. While we all want to be leaders in the industry, do we really want to be so in a low bar industry? The lack of technology has made the loan process agonizingly slow and painful for many of us and the industry is suffering because of it. Today Joe discusses the lack of trust between consumers and lenders.

You can travel the world and see that part of what makes Silicon Valley special is that it is just packed with brilliant people who know how to network. While living in a breeding ground for big ideas comes with lots of opportunities for the entrepreneur, it also means more expensive homes and less land. Today Joe and Jack welcome in Brad Oldenbrook of Starbrook who is disrupting how we buy and build homes at an incredible rate.

We hate to say we told you so, but the market is ticking up! The slow start we saw earlier this summer is starting to swing back the other way. Could we end up with another crazy-strong sellers market before heading back to a more normal inventory levels or is this just a momentary flash where sellers are back in the driver’s seat watching buyer’s fight over homes? Today Joe and Mike discuss the latest market activity. Also:

• Best cities to flip houses

• Top 10 relocation and leave cities

Competitors can be a hassle for growing businesses, but if you look closely they actually present an opportunity. Today Jack Russo takes over the studio with Joe Hence, whose company uses moral capitalism to take on retail giants. Buysycle aims to help consumers buy better by amplifying their power to buy the world they want. Knowing the story behind your choices is an easy way to give back to the world you live in and if you pay attention, it can be one where you find opportunity from competitors.

“It’s a great time to buy” A phrase you’ve been hearing all year long that has had sellers wondering where the buyers have disappeared to. Okay, so maybe Silicon Valley’s real estate market isn’t exactly quiet, but the insanity has calmed down enough for discouraged buyers to finally get a chance to negotiate offers. Listen in as Joe and Mike discuss the potential turn in the market. Also:

• How to leverage your equity for opportunity

Once you’ve made it in your career you may find yourself wanting another challenge to tackle, thus you find a second mountain to climb. Today Joe and Jack Russo are joined by Dr. Robert Acker, a former lawyer who later shifted gears and gained a degree in geography. At one point in his life Dr. Acker was at a personal dead end and solving that issue showed him the economic way forward as well. Listen in to hear about how Dr. Acker worked through the darkness and found new chapter in life.

Like many things much of real estate is timing. While it’s impossible to time everything perfectly, you should always use good judgment and be a leader not a follower. Emotions can complicate a transaction and low rates plus a lull in the market can make a purchase seem incredibly tempting for some. Others want to wait and see if the market continues heading south with hopes to buy at the bottom. You will never know when the market is at the top or the bottom, so make smart decisions!

College can be an incredibly busy and complicated time for young adults. This first big taste of freedom comes with a lot of accountability, peer pressure, embarrassment and concerns. Today Joe chats with Derek Snyder from Cru, a worldwide ministry that helps students grow strong in their faith with God. Topics:

• Cru movements around the world

• How Cru has changed relationships and lives

• Investing in other people

• Next step for Cru

• How to help Cru

• Myths & misconceptions