As a professional real estate lender and agent Joe and Mike deal with things every day that even the wisest consumers may not know about. Do you know anything about these lesser known programs and suggestions? Topics:

• The Bay Area lacking first time home buyer assistance programs

• Area based income level assistance programs

• Multiple borrowers & non-occupant co-borrowers

• Home inspections on new construction

• Who pays commission fees & 1031 exchanges

• And more...

When analyzing your position as a seller then as a buyer it’s important to think about how the sales price of your house evens out with good rates. In the first half of today’s podcast Joe and Mike discuss the role low rates play in current market conditions.

What it takes to get a loan differs depending on where you live. and conditions often vary from lender to lender. In the second half Joe and Mike look at the reality of what it takes to get a loan.

Venture capital is the best way for businesses to grow their business, but some entrepreneurs think otherwise. While it is certainly tough, there are benefits to growing organically and accepting the challenges that come with it. Slowed growth forces you to really listen to what your customers want and then find a way to creatively tweak your product to their needs. Today Joe and Jack are joined by Keesup Choe whose company, Predict.X, has thrived by prioritizing the customer over financing.

No one is quite sure what it is about Silicon Valley, but it just keeps attracting risk-taking entrepreneurs who are not afraid of failure. Throw in a few tech powerhouses and you have the greatest density of innovation culture that would be virtually impossible for any city to recreate. Silicon Valley is full of stories where entrepreneurs have failed spectacularly only to come back even stronger. Today Joe and Jack Russo discuss alternative financing options that keep your business growing.

It’s amazing how one voice can swing the market, but today the feds hinted they could lower rates in the near future. With graduations coming to an end and summer vibes setting in, this crazy market has all it needs to really take off. Today Joe and Mike discuss what to expect as buying season enters full swing. Topics include:

• Where the market is now compared to last year

• Could home prices go lower?

• Rate hikes to rate drops

• Tax benefits

• What a refinance can do for you

Over the last few years Joe has been hard at work creating Bundle Select, an employee real estate platform. Home ownership is one of the biggest expenses most people will deal with, yet it is one area where companies do not offer any assistance to their employees. Now employers can provide their employees with more benefits at no cost to the company. Today Joe shares an update on the big ways Bundle Select is helping more businesses help their employees. Also:

• The best time to be a buyer in years

The order of the Essences might suggest that finding your customers is more important than financing when it’s actually something that happens somewhat simultaneously. It’s a constant juggling act where you are constantly trying to attract customers and looking for financing that will help improve your marketing. Today Joe, Jack and Russ Irwin tackle the horse race between customers and early stage financing.

The total is greater than the sum of its parts. Starting a business with this saying in mind you realize you can do things that will either nurture or hurt it. Any competitive business in a competitive economy will have its zigs and zags. Anticipating the potential for injury is something entrepreneurs must think about once they launch for other companies will be watching you. Listen in as Joe and Jack Russo tackle the sixth Essence of Company Growth.

It doesn’t matter if it’s your primary residence, vacation home or rental property, anyone out there with a mortgage should be doing a mortgage review. Interest rates are the lowest they’ve been in two years dropping 30 year money below 4%! These rates affect conforming and jumbo loans making a huge difference for Silicon Valley properties and other high cost areas. Take some time to look at your mortgage and figure out if refinancing is right for you. Also:

• The best buying conditions in years

Sometimes your timing can be too early or too late, but even if you’re developing at the perfect time it is important to have technology that your team believes in. Today Joe and Jack Russo continue our journey through the 7 Essences of Company Growth with the help of Chris Beall of ConnectAndSell. Having technology that your team believes in is not only a sure sign that you’ve established a dedicated team, but it can make all the difference when you need to apply for financing.