This week on the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar catch up with Lindsay Hannah of Greater Fort Wayne, a nonprofit organization that focuses on economic development and community growth in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Lindsay discusses the exciting growth and development happening in Fort Wayne and shares insights about attracting high talent and fostering collaboration. She also discusses the Intern Experience program, which aims to retain young talent in Fort Wayne by showcasing the city's opportunities and amenities.

”We are partners, strong partners with our city, the city of Fort Wayne, and then our Allen County government with the commissioners. We're all rowing in the same direction because when you have everybody moving in a certain direction and in a certain vision, you just see intentionality and success.”  -Lindsay Hannah [04:06]

“We were chosen to be a pilot city, the only city in Indiana. Because of our growth in Fort Wayne, they wanted to utilize us to build out what we have now named the Intern Experience. As we sat down, we utilized ten people from our leadership, Fort Wayne Cohort this year to help with this project and have been blown away.” -Lindsay Hannah [16:30]

What You Will Learn:

Greater Fort Wayne and its formation

The Visionary Program for larger investors

Quarterly economic development updates

The Inner City Visits program

How the Intern Experience program attracts and retains talent

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar talk with Margaret Sklenar from Metropolitan Title Company. Margaret shares her insights on short sales and foreclosures in the real estate market. She explains that a short sale occurs when a seller is unable to pay off their mortgage and works with the lender to accept a lower amount to satisfy the debt. Margaret emphasizes the importance of understanding the tax implications of a short sale and highlights the extensive documentation required in the short sale process. She also discusses the challenges that can arise, such as dealing with multiple lenders and the time-consuming nature of the process. 

"The public thinks that if someone can't pay off their mortgage, it's because they're a deadbeat or because they just have been totally irresponsible financially. That is the case in some regards, but in other regards, not necessarily. So there are always a lot of circumstances that surround short sales, but ultimately, we work to help the lender accept the money that the seller can get out of their house in order to satisfy the debt and not have the seller go through foreclosure proceedings.” -Margaret Sklenar [03:12]

"It has to be a buyer that has the fortitude to wait and the time to wait to get the short sale around and also knowing that they're not going to get any concessions from the lender, from the seller or the lender.” -Margaret Sklenar [18:54]

What You Will Learn:

Steps involved in a home short sale process 

Challenges with different departments in short sales

Assumable loans

Considerations for buyers in short sale transactions 

Overview of the foreclosure process

Importance of title insurance and using professionals in real estate transactions

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar talk with Joe Gugelman, MLS/Technology Director at UPSTAR. Joe discusses the current real estate market in Fort Wayne and explains the role of UPSTAR in the local MLS. He shares insights for buyers and sellers and talks about the current lack of inventory in housing. Listen this week as Joe, Tyler, and Kerri compare the local market in Fort Wayne to the overall trends across the country. 

"As inventory starts to fill back into a reasonable number and we get somewhat of a balanced market and you feel like you can go buy a home after you sell yours that's going to encourage a lot more people to actually look to list their home rather than staying put because again, you're going to sell your home, you're going to get good money for it, but then you're going to go pay a lot for the next one. So it all balances out eventually.” -Joe Gugelman [24:20]

"If somebody feels like they've been treated unfairly in this process, there are different paths they can take. But Upstart in general is the point of contact for be it a member of ours or a member of the public. We can be that first point of contact to help guide you." -Joe Gugelman [42:33]

What You Will Learn:

• What is the MLS?

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar talk with Tom Kelley and Jim Kelley, father and son owners of Kelley Automotive. They share insights from their many successful endeavors and talk about the community outreach that they are passionate about. Jim and Tom discuss how a few people can move the needle in a large city like Fort Wayne, with city and county administrations that are willing to make things happen.

"Everybody deserves a great opportunity in life. Everybody deserves an opportunity to fulfill all the expectations that they may have of themselves and their abilities.” - Tom Kelley [03:41]

"We spend a lot of hours here, a lot of time. When you are away from your family, you want to make sure you're doing something that you really enjoy, whether it's you're an entrepreneur or just your daily work. It's important." - Jim Kelley [43:02]

What You Will Learn:

02:39 The Kelley Family's Commitment to Community Involvement

09:02 Fort Wayne's Electric Works Project

11:58 Improving High School Graduation Rates and Opportunities in Fort Wayne

21:48 The Evolving Car Business and Hiring Young Talent

34:55 Gratitude and the Benefits of Living in Northeast Indiana

40:02 Advice for Entrepreneurs 

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar talk with Ben Poehler, Mortgage Loan Officer, at Three Rivers Federal Credit Union in Fort Wayne. Ben discusses the ever-changing real estate market and explains the benefits of working with a loan officer to find the best loan for one's needs. He also talks about the differences between portfolio lending and secondary market lending when it comes to purchasing a house.

"Home equity line of credit allows you to tap into the equity of your current house. You do not touch your first mortgage whatsoever. So whatever interest rate that's at, whatever loan program you're on that stays the same and then you open a second mortgage and there's several different options. ” - Ben Poehler [20:51]

"We have a lot of different lending vehicles to improve someone’s overall financial wellness at Three Rivers. It may start with their mortgage, it could turn into some sort of student loan conversation, or it could turn into investment opportunities. We want to do a lot more than just mortgages. It is about deeper relationships." - Ben Poehler [24:05]

What You Will Learn:

4:36 Interest Rates and the Current Housing Market

6:16 The Differences Between Portfolio and Secondary Market Lending

9:42 Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs)

18:45 Three Rivers Mortgage: Exploring Creative Solutions for Homeownership

24:29 Refinancing and Credit Solutions for Financial Wellness

27:41 How to connect with Ben

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar talk with Dan Swart, Executive Director of Start Fort Wayne, a service organization that provides support to entrepreneurs and is also home to an all-inclusive and flexible coworking space located downtown. Dan shares his passion for the local community and talks about his current projects, which include supporting entrepreneurs, providing support services to startups, and merging technology with art.

"Mentorship is very similar to entrepreneurship. I'm not creating an entrepreneur if I'm doing the work for them, but I can provide them some sort of inspiration or a spark to go in the right direction or access to a specific resource that they didn't have. So a lot of this is really identifying what you are doing, providing discrete resources, and then getting out of their way." - Dan Swartz [20:48]

"Rural entrepreneurship is something that's very a large topic right now in America because rural spaces are tending to be disinvested in certain ways, and entrepreneurship is a path for those communities to grow their own wealth." - Dan Swartz [27:14]

What You Will Learn:

3:56 The Benefits of Coworking Spaces

12:59 Experience as the Ultimate Teacher

20:48 The Parallels Between the Arts and Entrepreneurship

22:41 Shared Office Space Options for Entrepreneurs

25:30 Membership Model for Regional Business Access to Multiple Spaces

29:08 Rural Entrepreneurship

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar talk with Jim Bradley, Founder and President of Century 21 Bradley. With decades of experience in real estate and leadership, Jim discusses the importance of identifying the core values of a business, focusing on strong leadership, and connecting with your community in order to serve them well. He also talks about the importance of marketing and staging a home when putting it on the market. 

"Integrity and professionalism. We pride ourselves in professional services and we want to do things right, honestly and in the best interest of our clients." - Jim Bradley [40:35]

"I think real estate comes down to exceptional customer service." - Kerri Morningstar [28:12]

What You Will Learn:

[00:46] Intro

[03:00] This week’s guest: Jim Bradley

[06:22] Junior achievement programs 

[11:18] The current real estate market

[21:35] The value of staging 

[28:40] Service and communication

[33:43] Approachable, coachable, and teachable 

[39:24] Market share

[42:06] Outro

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar share how to evaluate a home properly and identify potential long-term issues it. They also discuss the importance of home buyers being aware of future expenses with a property they are purchasing and working with a realtor to achieve peace of mind throughout the buying process. 

"As a realtor, I list homes and help buyers purchase homes. Everyone knows that. But I pride myself when I am with a buyer because I am their other set of eyes. I look for things around the house and bring things to my buyer’s attention. " - Kerri Morningstar [01:59]

"You can never over inspect. I would rather have a client spend the money for a visual inspection so they can obtain peace of mind or potentially dodge a bullet." - Tyler Morningstar [13:00]

What You Will Learn:

[00:46] Intro

[03:39] Being aware of future expenses with a home

[05:32] Evaluating the state of a home

[07:30] Spending after offers are accepted

[09:41] The importance of working with an inspector 

[11:40] Basements and foundational issues

[13:28 Visual inspections

[15:12] Finding a great real estate agent

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar talk about some of their favorite spots in Fort Wayne for food, fun and community. They also share resources that will help you find events happening in the Ft. Wayne area. 

"The growth downtown is unbelievable. People forget how much green we have downtown. We have many parks and areas for families and walking." - Kerri Morningstar [08:44]

"There is always something going on in Ft. Wayne. If there is a weekend coming up and you don’t have any plans and want to do something, you can go check out the Ft. Wayne calendar online. It tells you all the things happening downtown or in other parts of the area." - Tyler Morningstar [02:36]

What You Will Learn:

[00:46] Intro

[04:12] Kerri’s favorite pizza spot in Ft. Wayne

[05:52] Tyler’s favorite Ft. Wayne golf courses

[08:10] Cleanliness of Ft. Wayne

[13:05] Top spots for Mexican food

[15:34] Listener suggestions

[16:00] Hiking trails

[17:00] Ft. Wayne Sweets

[19:00] Ft. Wayne cost of living

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar speak with Margaret Sklenar of Metropolitan Title Company. Margaret talks about title work and why it’s important to have title insurance when purchasing a home. She shares how the industry has changed during her 40+ years career and how she helps buyers and sellers get to the closing table.

"So we make it look really easy, but it takes a long time sometimes to get these titles scrubbed clean of liens and encumbrances, and that’s what we do." - Margaret Sklenar [09:04]

"The beauty about real estate is no matter what programs are around or what’s going on in the industry or the economy, we always find ways to settle real estate." - Margaret Sklenar [25:00]

What You Will Learn:

[00:46] Intro

[02:42] About Margaret Sklenar

[05:42] What is title work and why it's important

[09:14] Why the closing process can differ

[12:03] What is escrow

[15:33] Why a buyer needs title insurance

[23:43] How the industry has changed in her 40+ year career

[35:14] How to contact Margaret

Contact:

• Contact Tyler at [email protected] and (260) 433-5385.

Sponsor:

Blake Evans, National Property Inspections Fort Wayne: npiweb.com/fortwayne