How does the effectiveness of city leadership affect your home value and satisfaction as a homeowner? 

In fact, so many of the benefits of investing in real estate — and the pursuit of the American Dream of home ownership — depend upon the cities in which we live.

To learn more about one of Orange County's hottest markets, host Wendy Ross interviews City of Costa Mesa John Stephens in this episode.

Costa Mesa is one of Wendy's favorites for so many reasons. For one, the City’s official motto is “the City of the Arts,” and it boasts a world-class cultural scene. But there’s so much more, including the City's progressive approach to affordable housing and concern for first-time homebuyers. 

Learn more about Costa Mesa on its official site or contact Mayor Stephens directly at [email protected] or 714-337-1872.

What do California style-casters forecast as 2023 interior design trends?

There's a reason that the world looks to California for setting trends, especially in interior design. To learn what trends will top 2023, host Wendy Ross interviewed Joseph Aldrich, principal at The Cypress Group, about luxury trends and interior design. 

Friends, he is the real deal. 

Perhaps it’s his height—standing well above 6 feet tall—that affords Joseph N. Aldrich the ability to see what’s on the horizon. Or maybe it’s that the toniest industry leaders have favorited his personal mobile number on their ubiquitous iPhones to expedite late-night conversations that lead to marketing and public relations breakthroughs. 

Or, more likely, it’s because Joseph is a seer in a seersucker suit — or a hound in a houndstooth blazer, depending on the season — identifying design trends before they happen and working tirelessly to ensure California’s most elite consumers and buyers come to covet them. (You know you will.)

Why do real estate agents get such a bad rap? 

Many people consider real estate agents glorified order-takers, just marketing homes, opening doors and making too much money for not doing a lot of work.

Host Wendy Ross doesn't disagree. In fact, she calls out some of the bad practices that her fellow brokers and agents follow that make her head hurt in this episode. 

Knowing these 10 failed practices can help home buyers and sellers run from bad agents and select true professionals who act as market advisers. 

Ever wonder what goes into a real estate appraisal? 

The practice often seems shrouded in mystery, so host Wendy Ross invited Jacki Moya to educate listeners. She has more than 30 years of experience in real estate — seven years in sales and 23 years appraising over a storied career.

In this episode, you'll learn what an appraiser does and what to expect when working with one. Plus, Jacki offers important tips for buyers, sellers and investors.

How does one of the nation's most trusted business reporters cover the real estate market?

To find out, Wendy Ross asked Jonathan Lansner of the Orange County Register to share his expertise in regional economics and real estate markets. He is a past national president of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing and a 1979 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. 

Jonathan has been reporting on Orange County business, and specifically real estate markets, since the late ‘80s — timing that corresponds with the local economy’s explosive growth. In this interview, Wendy and Jonathan swap stories about California's wild real estate market and debate the use of data in reporting and decision-making. 

Read more about Jonathan and his coverage at ocregister.com.

What are the warning signs of a "bad" real estate agent?

In this episode, Cara Stewart returns to the studio to persuade host Wendy Ross to spill the tea on her industry — and boy, does Wendy ever! 

Perhaps we should have called this episode "Agents Gone Wild" instead! Wendy reveals some of the most shocking behavior she's witnessed among real estate brokers and agents (behavior she has banned from practice at Veracity Real Estate Co.). 

Learn more about Wendy at realveracity.com.

Will the Orange County residential real estate market sizzle or fizzle this summer? 

Yes, the real estate peak is behind us, but that doesn't mean a housing crash is on the horizon. To dive deeper into the data, host Wendy Ross and guest interviewer Cara Stewart walk listeners through what they need to know. 

Wendy explores the nitty gritty of buying and selling a home in a market with such tight inventory. Plus, she shares her insight into what what actually goes into determining an asking price — and it's changing in this shifting market. 

Learn more about Wendy at realveracity.com.

How can real estate investors reap the biggest returns?

We all know that investing in real estate can produce passive income and a stable cash flow while giving investors leverage. But even with such opportunities, investors must be savvy about taxes, or they could lose out on some benefits. 

Host Wendy Ross turns to Thanh Cambaliza to explore some of the most important tax-saving strategies.

Thanh is a CPA and partner at Cambaliza McGee LLP. Born in Vietnam, Thanh immigrated to the United States at 20 and embraced learning about life and business. Since 2006, Thanh has been in the practice of public accounting, working with private and public companies, as well as small business owners and executives in major corporations.

This diverse type of work stimulates Thanh’s entrepreneurial and creative mind and she especially likes providing complex business and tax strategies to help her clients become more profitable.

Just as she is in all areas of her life, Thanh is extremely passionate about seeing her clients’ businesses thrive as if they were actually her own business.

Learn more about Thanh at cpa-cm.com.

What do homeowners need to know about working with general contractors — and why are they so expensive? 

To find out the answers to these questions, host Wendy Ross interviews Jeanine El Melki of JEM Remodel & Construction. Some long-time residents of Orange County, Calif., may remember the precursor to JEM, Alpha Remodel & Construction. 

After gaining vast experience for more than 10 years as a private building and remodeling contractor, Jeanine took the company under her own license and certifications in 2010. 

She has completed hundreds and hundreds of client projects, ranging from remodels to full extensions and constructions from the ground, some of which Wendy and Jeanine discuss during this episode. 

To learn more about Jeanine and JEM Remodel & Construction, visit jemremodel.com.

What are the most pressing questions home buyers, sellers and investors have about today's market? 

In this episode, Cara Stewart joined Wendy Ross in the studio to respond to listeners. In this wide-ranging interview, Wendy covers:

• The new “Forgivable Equity Builder” Loan program from the California Housing Finance Agency, which helps home buyers with a loan of up to 10% of the purchase price

Learn more about Wendy at Veracity Real Estate Co.