Manufactured housing has come a long way from the days when they were “mobile homes” with a license plate and wheels. In this episode, we’re joined by Sammi Silver: licensed Realtor®, founder, and president of Bright Idea Properties! We’re lucky to be joined by her to get the inside scoop on these misunderstood homes, and how they could be an important part of addressing the nation’s housing shortage. The quality of today’s manufactured homes are higher than most might expect. They are built to rigorous standards, often featuring high-quality materials, modern layouts, and construction designed to remain in place rather than be moved. We discuss why manufactured housing could play an important role in addressing the nation’s housing shortage and expanding starter-home opportunities, as well as the unique structure of manufactured home communities, where residents typically own their homes but lease the land beneath them. We also explore Minnesota’s Manufactured Home Residents Bill of Rights (HF2381/SF2691), legislation developed by residents to provide stronger protections and opportunities for those living in these communities. Tune in to learn why manufactured housing deserves a closer look as part of the conversation around housing affordability and access. Find us at therecollab.com

Extras:

Find Sammi’s Bright Idea Properties Website here.

Learn how REC is making an impact here

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Matt Berna @ Bell Bank Mortgage

Ben Feldman @ Active Insurance Solutions

This episode originally aired January 11, 2026:

In this episode, we welcome a special guest to discuss the housing shortage in the United States. We discuss why it’s so difficult to build new housing, and the reality that the U.S. is facing a genuine housing shortfall. Our guest, Leora Tanjuatco Ross, is the California Director of YIMBY Action, a national organization with more than 70 chapters across the country advocating for affordable housing. YIMBY stands for “Yes in My Backyard,” and the organization does incredible work empowering people to organize and advocate for greater housing access and affordability. Learn more at yimbyaction’s website.

Check REC out @ therecollab.com

Extras:

Read How Burrowing Owls Lead to Vomiting Anarchists (Or SF’s Housing Crisis Explained) here.

~You can also find the book on google books or via Amazon.

Twin Cities YIMBY

YIMBY Action (National)

Leora @ YIMBY Action

‘Homeless’ or ‘Unhoused?’ – REC Blog

Dollars and Sense – REC Blog

#2$Bill Project – REC Blog

Moving forward: 3 ways to combat the Twin Cities’ legacy of housing discrimination – REC Blog

A Snapshot of Racial Discrimination in Real Estate – REC Blog

Why does Home Matter? – REC Blog

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Matt Berna @ TruStone Home Mortgage

Ben Feldman @ Active Insurance Solutions

REC’s website

Find REC on YouTube

As promised, here is the episode we’ve been eager to present. Let us all brace ourselves for a topic that seems to be finding its way into every industry, including real estate: AI. Our previous conversation about how lenders are paid, the technology used to crunch numbers, and data security naturally led us here. We discuss where AI is helpful, where it is less helpful than hoped for, and where it may harm. Tune in to hear how AI has been showing up in our own work and what we’ve learned from it so far, for better or worse. Thanks to Matt Berna with Bell Bank Home Mortgage and Marc Byers for joining Paige on this episode of RECkoning with Real Estate! Find us at therecollab.com

Extras:

Matt Berna – Loan Officer

REC’s page on Financing

The REC difference: Retainer Option

Learn how we approach fees here

REC’s Seller Facilitation option might intrigue you

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Matt Berna @ Bell Bank Mortgage

Ben Feldman @ Active Insurance Solutions

Hello again to Matt Berna and Marc Byers joining us this week! You may have heard those names before, and that is no mistake. These are two people with a lot of information to share. For this episode, we’re talking about how loan officers are compensated. We’ve spent previous episodes talking about how Realtors® are paid; it’s about time we have the same conversation about others involved in buying and selling your home. There are similarities between the two, but what’s even more interesting is how different they can be! This conversation is a dynamic one, where we go from complex behind-the-scenes numbers talk to straight up hair-do’s. Listen in and learn with Matt about loan officer compensation. Find us at therecollab.com

Extras:

Matt Berna – Loan Officer

REC’s page on Financing

The REC difference: Retainer Option

Learn how we approach fees here

REC’s Seller Facilitation option might intrigue you

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Matt Berna @ Bell Bank Mortgage

Ben Feldman @ Active Insurance Solutions

In Part 2 of our conversation with Doug Miller, we dive into a continuation of last episode’s discussion (watch here) surrounding practices that don’t serve consumers’ best interests. We discuss the 2024 anti-trust lawsuit involving NAR, “standard fee agreements,” and other anti-competitive practices that have been commonplace in the real estate industry for years. From price-fixing concerns to workaround clauses buried in contracts, this episode takes a closer look at some of the legal and ethical questions surrounding traditional real estate practices. While meaningful change in such a large industry may take time, we believe informed consumers are an important part of pushing the conversation forward. Stay informed, stay savvy, and join us for an honest look at the behind-the-scenes systems shaping real estate today. Find us at therecollab.com

Extras:

Doug’s page on AttorneyRE

Consumer Advocates in American Real Estate

REC’s philosophy on Dual Agency

Learn how we approach fees here

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Matt Berna @ Bell Bank Mortgage

Ben Feldman @ Active Insurance Solutions

We find ourselves yet again in the depths of the side of real estate most consumers never get to see. In this episode, we sit down with Doug Miller: consumer protection attorney, Executive Director of Consumer Advocates in American Real Estate, and believe it or not, a real estate agent himself. A trusted ally of REC, Doug pulls back the curtain on the practices, conflicts of interest, and industry protections quietly shaping residential real estate, many of which consumers unknowingly agree to every day. From private listing networks to the reality of dual agency, this conversation challenges the idea that the system is built with the public’s best interest in mind. If you’ve ever wondered who real estate systems are really designed to serve, this conversation is for you. Find us at theRECollab.com

Extras:

Doug’s page on AttorneyREC

Consumer Advocates in American Real Estate

REC’s philosophy on Dual Agency

Learn how we approach fees here

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Matt Berna @ Bell Bank Mortgage

Ben Feldman @ Active Insurance Solutions

This episode originally aired February 1, 2026:

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Ben Feldman. This is an encore episode that was aired previously, but that we thought important enough to re-run! Ben is one of the owners of Active Insurance Solutions, an independently owned insurance company. In this episode, we unpack often-overlooked parts of homeowners insurance, including roof coverage, minimum deductibles, and common add-ons/endorsements. These details don’t come up often, but they’re helpful to understand ahead of time, before it may be too late. Find us at therecollab.com

A few key takeaways:

Definitions:

Extras:

Ben Feldman – Partner of Active Insurance Solutions out of Chanhassen

REC Blog: Read about what makes REC different here.

AI Solutions Blog: How to protect your property for severe weather

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Matt Berna @ TruStone Home Mortgage

Ben Feldman @ Active Insurance Solutions

Find REC on YouTube

This is an encore episode with Ben Feldman, one of our sponsors of the show! Ben Feldman is a partner of Active Insurance Solutions which is an independent insurance agency based in Chanhassen. In this episode, Ben and Paige talk about all things ‘insurance claims.’ We cover the key steps to take when an event needs to be reported, how to better understand your coverage, and best practices to keep in mind when purchasing insurance. We break down important components of homeowners insurance, including the CLUE report and the most common types of claims, and describe how these factors should influence your decision-making when filing a claim or buying a home. Listen in for a highly important and informative conversation! Find us at therecollab.com.

Extras

Ben Feldman – Partner of Active Insurance Solutions out of Chanhassen:

REC Blog: Read about what makes REC different: Here, Here, Here or Here!

AI Solutions Blog: Insurance tips for first time homebuyers

AI Solutions Blog: How to protect your property for severe weather

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Matt Berna @ Bell Bank Mortgage

Ben Feldman @ Active Insurance Solutions

Paige, Marc, and Taylor are back, continuing the conversation around unpacking the Realtor® brand and what it really means to step outside the traditional model. We talk about how that shift shows up for consumers, the different ways agents approach their work (for better or worse), and how REC tries to follow through on doing things differently. In the second half, we discuss what’s happening behind the scenes by touching on some of the challenges shaping the housing market and where there’s abundant opportunity for our voices to be heard. At the end of the day, housing is a basic need, and it’s something we should be pushing for proactively (not just patching after the fact). So yeah, maybe it’s time to be a little loud (and a little annoying) in the name of more homes. Find us at theRECollab.com

Extras:

YIMBY!! 

Info about the Starter Homes Act

How we advocate for more housing!

The REC Difference

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Matt Berna @ Bell Bank Mortgage

Ben Feldman @ Active Insurance Solutions

#RECkoningWithRealEstate #QuestioningTheDefaults #RealEstate #HousingTransparency #RECReckons #RECagent #YIMBY