This week Joe and Buddy hook up with Bobbi who is calling in from the Realtors Expo in Chicago. Phoning in with her is Mike Cobb and Rachel Jensen from ECI Development who have been busy opening schools and clinics around Central America. Also in discussion:

• Rachel's trip through each country alongside Bobbi and Buddy

• Insights from the International Pavilion

• How will Central America progress from here?

• Price points

• Mike and Rachel’s trip after Bobbi and Buddy

Many people seem to believe that financing is unobtainable when retirement is just around the corner; something that is simply not true. And just because you don’t have a job doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have income. Today Joe explains financing options for those who shouldn’t be counting themselves out:

• Social security, pension and investment income

• Is retirement income the same as W-2 income?

• Financing without a job –trick question or truth?

• Untraditional income and lev

The 2017 NAR survey on investment properties is out and Joe, Bobbi and Buddy are ready to break down all the statistics. First time primary residence purchases have risen but vacation home purchases fell for the third straight year. Also in discussion:

• Percentages breakouts where vacation home buyers are buying

• Why people are buying vacation homes

• Converting vacation homes to primary residences

• Vacation home financing opportunities

• Vacation homes – Are they near or far?

Did you ever wonder about the difference between major publicly traded banks, large mortgage banking operations and mortgage brokers? You’re not the first one to wonder. Today Joe answers your lending questions so you can go out and make the right decision for you! Specific topics include:

• The general lending process and differences between how the three operate

• Benefits and disadvantages of each

• Brokers before and after the mortgage meltdown

• What brokers can and can’t do

Depending on what you use the money for and what the loan to value amount is, accessing equity from your home can help or hurt. Today Joe shares 8 practical reasons for accessing equity from your home:

• Paying off second lien

• Remodeling/adding on

• Pulling equity to remodel a second property

• Paying down the mortgage on a second property

• Down payment for another purchase

• Pay off non tax deductable debt

• Use equity to start or subsidize your business

• Leveraging for another

Technology is all about improving how we do things and how we communicate with others. In today’s show Joe discusses two articles: The Top 7 Ways Agents Annoy Clients and The Top 5 Things Consumers Hate about Applying For a Mortgage. Using data like this many companies will be changing the way they invest in their business. Joe then discusses upcoming technology that will improve our relationship with consumers as well as other concerns that need to be addressed by the industry.

It’s an extremely tough market for the buyer with high demand and no room for new homes. Today Joe suggests options that you may not have thought of as you navigate this extremely tough market. Although the housing market is hot, hot, hot right now the housing market will face a correction. We don’t know how bad or when, but one will happen eventually. Later on Joe helps us prepare for the eventual downturn by explaining what you can do to be prepared.

Bobbi and Buddy visited Central America with Michael Cobb (ECI Development) and returned with a huge thank you list and a whole lot of information on our new favorite retirement destinations. Today Bobbi and Buddy tell Joe about the four countries they visited, the people they met and the ongoing property developments. Topics include:

•Retirement and millennial investing opportunities

•Teak forests in Panama

•Seeing bubbling lava at a volcano in Nicaragua

•The Belize community

•And more!

You’ve done your research and know the general direction you want to head. All that’s left to do is choose a person to work with and get your transaction started. Joe covers what you may or may not know about the agents who show up when you visit real estate websites.

Joe also chats with Seattle realtor and author Aaron Hendon. Topics include:

•What separates the top 10% of realtors from the rest?

•Questions to ask the realtor during an interview

•Good and bad of internet

•Top things to lo

Unless something big happens you can bet interest rates will be on their way up. Joe kicks off today’s show by explaining how your unique profile affects your interest rate. He also offers strategies to consider before interest rate increase again.

Is there a time of the year that can be considered the best time to buy a house? Joe seems to think so. In the second half of the show Joe explains why he believes the 4th quarter might be the best time to buy a house.