In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar speak with John Nichter, Board of Directors President for Three Rivers Festival. John talks about what to expect at this year’s festival, what’s returning and what’s new.

"I know I’ve had more fun down there than I can even… I want to even say how much fun I’ve had down there, but I’m glad to hear that we are moving forward this year." - Kerri Morningstar [07:29]

"One of the things I like seeing are those chalk pictures. Those are amazing. If you have not gone out there and seen what people can do with sidewalk chalk, you need to go do it. It is incredible." - Tyler Morningstar [10:06]

"We pull so many people from the region as well as across different states." - John Nichter [16:19]

What You Will Learn:

[00:05] Intro

[00:40] Meet John Nichter

[01:25] His involvement with the Three Rivers Festival

[02:48] Why there isn’t a parade at the festival this year

[06:19] What is the Three Rivers Festival

[07:55] What to expect this year

[14:15] The festival location and attendance

[16:43] The new things coming this year

[19:29] Some of John’s favorites at the festival

[20:23] If pets are allowed, will water be available and other beneficial information

[22:34] How to volunteer for the festival

[25:00] How much it costs to attend

[27:09] Safety precautions and parking at the festival

[30:43] What’s John’s vision for the future

[33:23] How to contact John and the Three Rivers Festival

Resources:

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

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar speak with Steve Yahn, Regional VP for North American Van Lines in Fort Wayne. Steve talks about the moving process and things to consider when selecting a moving company.

"When you get to destination and they’re delivering, you want to make sure you’re right there and you’re checking off items as you’re bringing them in the door." - Steve Yahn [14:56]

What You Will Learn:

[00:05] Intro

[01:47] Meet Steve Yahn

[02:21] Steve’s thoughts on finding a mover online

[04:25] First steps to secure a mover

[06:15] Standard pricing

[07:54] Who to call in Fort Wayne

[08:10] How to protect yourself and valuables

[09:23] The best times to move

[12:06] Using Hoover the Mover

[14:31] Pay attention to your inventory

[16:58] Contacting Hoover the Mover

Resources:

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

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar talk about the current real estate market from a seller’s point of view. They talk about why you would need a real estate agent rather than sell by owner.

"When things go rocky, when things get a little bit testy, that’s when, I think, you see the value of somebody representing you, because they go to war for you, and they’re the ones that set up the showing. They set up a photographer. They negotiate. They make sure the title work is done. There’s just a lot more to it." - Tyler Morningstar [03:30]

"If you’re looking for a house, we’re going to be right there to show it or if you’re looking to list your home, we’re going to be right there as well." - Kerri Morningstar [09:04]

What You Will Learn:

[00:05] Intro

[01:31] Why do you need a real estate agent

[03:48] Why negotiation is important

[05:27] Sell by owner vs with an agent

[11:52] Contacting Kerri and Tyler

Resources:

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

Visit Century 21 Real Estate

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar speak with Ryan Dollens, certified residential appraiser and owner of Dollens Appraisal Services. Ryan talks about the real estate appraisal process and how they determine value. He also discusses a few types of appraisals.

"I realized an appraisal is a person’s personal opinion." - Kerri Morningstar [07:52]

"Our goal is to come up with what a typical buyer would pay for a property." - Ryan Dollens [19:24]

What You Will Learn:

[00:05] Intro

[01:20] Meet Ryan Dollens

[02:22] Requirements to be an appraiser

[04:28] Ryan’s process

[07:12] Number of appraisal he does a month

[07:43] Determining and adding value

[10:30] How to find comparables (comps)

[13:04] What is cut appraisal & Marshall Swift appraisal 

[16:35] The Tidewater process

[18:11] The effects of the current housing market

[21:31] Some examples

[25:33] Contacting Ryan Dollens

Resources:

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

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar speak with Sara Kruger, owner and designer of SaraBella Home Staging and Redesign. Sara talks about why she thinks it’s important to stage a home that’s for sale.

"I encourage homeowners to view it as an investment, not as an expenditure, because there will be a return." - Sara Kruger [03:13]

"Believe it or not, even within this market that we’re in, your home still has to be stellar." - Kerri Morningstar [05:25]

What You Will Learn:

[00:05] Intro

[01:52] Why is staging important

[05:39] How Sara designs the staging

[12:00] The truth about trendy styles

[15:46] Two things to get your house ready

[17:42] How to add color in your life

[19:56] Her work with exterior stuff

[20:17] Contacting Sara Kruger

Resources:

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

Visit SaraBella Home Staging and Redesign

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar speak with Blake Evans, from National Property Inspections (NPI), about home inspections. Blake discusses why inspections are important for home buyers and what to expect during an inspection.

"Stuff can be overlooked. They’re in a hurry. They got deadlines, so little things like that can turn into major issues. Like that roof eventually, those shingles could completely come off and allow the roof to leak. So I think new home construction is just as important as an existing home that’s been around." - Blake Evans [08:56]

"I think that has a lot to do with our market right now, because with the lack of inventory of homes and people are going to be paying above what they’re asking, I’ve worked with people who are expecting an older home to be a new home. That’s there’s very few flaws and they want it to be red letter perfect, and that’s just not going to happen in an older home." - Kerri Morningstar [16:26]

What You Will Learn:

[00:05] Intro

[00:47] Meet Blake Evans

[03:56] Why get a home inspection

[06:31] How long is an inspection last and how pricing is determine

[08:25] If it’s necessary to inspect a new home

[09:13] Good general home maintenance tips

[11:44] Turnaround times, reports and more

[15:42] What are normal wear and tear

[20:08] What makes NPI unique

[25:53] Contacting Blake

Resources:

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

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar speak with Joel Hyde, partner and agent at Colligan & Company. Joel talks about home insurance, what to look for in a policy plan, what comes in a policy plan and how the insurance company determines cost.

"You have new homes. You have a new roof, new furnace. Your plumbing is new. Wiring is new. You have a lot less likelihood that something may happen. A home that’s built in 1920, the plumbing’s older. The wiring is older. Sometimes the roof, depending on the year of it. There’s plaster walls. There’s just a lot of differences in an old home and a new home, but a new home is going to be a lot less expensive than an older home." - Joel Hyde [16:20]

"So every once in a while, just take a snapshot of your living room, bedroom, all your rooms, and save them in the cloud somewhere, so they're good reference points. It makes it easy that a) prove you have those items or had those items and b) it’s easy to remember to make your list." - Tyler Morningstar [23:05]

"When you’re out looking for insurance, just don’t look for the most inexpensive or what yearly payments are going to be. Look at all the numbers." - Kerri Morningstar [35:25]

What You Will Learn:

[00:03] Intro

[01:14] Meet Joel Hyde

[02:53] Why an insurance company would drop a client

[03:29] What an insurance company look for in claims

[09:07] What home insurance cover and how they determine cost

[13:38] What is an umbrella policy

[16:28] How animals are incorporated in policies

[19:32] What is renter’s insurance

[20:23] How to track your contents

[25:19] What to look for in an insurance agent

[29:03] When you need flood insurance

[30:28] What determines the rates

[33:24] More about Joel

[34:28] Contacting Joel Hyde

Resources:

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

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar speak with Jamie Lancia, President of Lancia Homes. Jamie talks about the process for constructing a new home from selecting a builder to a floor plan. He describes the differences between a custom and a semi-custom home, and he shares some of the cool features his clients included in their new homes.

"We go back two or three years ago, prior to COVID, I mean home offices were going away, and today home offices are key and essential things." - Jamie Lancia [10:33]

"That’s the whole trick with new home construction is making sure that you’re comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Because if you’re just looking for the bottom dollar, well, that’s what you’re going to get: the bottom dollar." - Kerri Morningstar [23:36]

"But now the realities of Allen County are that there’s not a lot of homes to buy… so there’s lots of buyers, very little sellers." - Tyler Morningstar [00:53]

What You Will Learn:

[00:03] Intro

[00:47] Building your home

[02:25] Meet Jamie Lancia

[04:03] How many homes they build per year

04:43] New home construction climate

[08:15] Custom vs semi-custom homes

[09:54] The building process

[11:51] Subdivision vs metes and bound

[14:30] Lots Lancia Homes own and construction loans

[18:50] How it takes them to build a house

[25:25] What Lancia Homes does that’s different

[28:22] Selecting a builder

[30:34] If you can bring any floor plan to a builder

[35:59] Some cool things Jamie has seen in the market

[40:24] What’s next after a purchase agreement

[41:40] Warranties Lancia Homes provides

[45:02] How can people find a Lancia Home to look at

[46:47] Jamie’s favorite wine and his hobbies

[48:52] Contacting Jamie Lancia

Resources:

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

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar speak with Michelle Smekens from VIP Mortgage. Michelle shares her expertise about home mortgages from her 25 years in the industry. She talks about the different types of loans, a general overview of the home-buying process and how credit scores play into it. Listen to why it’s important to talk to a lender.

"It can be scary because this is a big purchase. This is sometimes what people use for a savings account. So this can be a huge purchase and that’s why it’s good to talk to professionals." - Kerri Morningstar [09:16]

"If you are out there and you’ve talked to a loan officer and you get denied, do not hide. They’re going to help you. They’re going to give you an action plan. Follow it. They’re going to help you every step of the way." - Tyler Morningstar [21:05]

"I know my mantra has been ever since I got into the mortgage industry: I want to help people get mortgages today, tomorrow and in the future. So it doesn’t matter to me if your credit is not where it needs to be today. If I can help you get there tomorrow or sometime in the future, that’s where our goal is." - Michelle Smekens [21:19]

What You Will Learn:

[00:04] Intro

[00:59] Meet Michelle Smekens

[01:53] Why it’s important to talk to a lender

[04:31] A general overview of the process

[06:29] The different types of loans

[12:36] Can you buy a home with no money?

[14:08] How credit scores play into the process

[20:23] Mortgage lenders are here to help

[21:58] Prepaids and points

[26:00] Challenges in the home buying process

[29:37] Contacting Michelle Smekens

Resources:

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

Visit VIP Mortgage

In this episode of the Selling Fort Wayne podcast, hosts Tyler Morningstar and Kerri Morningstar discuss buying vs renting a home. They share the pros and cons for both options as well as steps to buying a home.

"Make sure that whenever you are dealing with a real estate agent, whether it’s myself or my mom. Whoever it is, make sure they are actually listening to you." - Tyler Morningstar [10:38]

"We want to make sure it’s the right house, the best location, the things that fit your needs and to make sure there’s going to be a resale value for you, because nothing’s worse than purchasing a home and you’re going to lose money." - Kerri Morningstar [11:58]

What You Will Learn:

[00:03] Intro

[1:36] Buying vs. renting

[03:51] Tax breaks

[04:43] Home improvements

[05:51] Steps to buying a home

[12:33] Come up with an action plan

[14:23] Outro 

Resources:

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

Visit Century 21 Real Estate