The Brian and Kindra Show

On Season 2 Episode 31 of The Brian & Kindra Show, they are joined by Mike Gossett of On Point Land Survey to talk about his recent home purchase experience from the buyer’s perspective.The first piece of advice that Mike has for home buyers is to get a preapproval! You hear real estate agents say this all of the time, but often buyers wait until they have an accepted offer to go talk to the bank. Mike waited until he had a contract to go to the bank, and he said it caused him lots of stress waiting for the approval because he knew other buyers were waiting for his contract to fall through to scoop up the property. Having a pre-approval also gives the seller more confidence in your offer. When competing with another offer, a pre-approval gives you a stronger position. Next, Brian, Kindra, and Mike discuss that there are two types of buyers: buyers that can wait to find a home that suits them really well and buyers who need to move very quickly. If you have the luxury of having a place to live while you shop, Mike’s advice is to be very patient. Make sure you don’t get in a hurry because you are excited, but wait to find the right home. However, if you are in a hurry, sometimes you simply have to buy the house that you hate the least. Regardless of which type of buyer you are, try to look at multiple properties, save as much money as you can for the down payment and expenses, and don’t judge a book by its cover - sometimes a photograph just can’t do a home justice! Finally, they discuss the idea of value. To an appraiser and a bank, value is a number on paper, and that value is the appraiser's opinion on the day they performed the appraisal. Unfortunately, appraisers can’t give value to emotion or personal preference, but these things can make a home much more valuable to a buyer. When talking about these large purchases, many people fixate on price or “getting a good deal.” While, of course, you want a good deal, don’t let the good deal get you into a home that doesn’t really suit you. It’s okay to pay top dollar for a home that is perfect for you if you plan to live there for a long time! In some instances, such as super-hot markets like OKC, buyers are even willing to pay over the appraised value to gain the home that they really want. In the end, the value of the home is what the buyer is willing to pay for it! To listen to the full episode of The Brian & Kindra Show, search for them on your favorite podcast service or check out the video on YouTube by searching “The Brian and Kindra Show”. Brian and Kindra hope this information has been helpful to you. As always, if you have any questions or need help, please feel free to reach out to your local real estate professional.

On Season 2 Episode 30 of The Brian and Kindra Show, they talk about ways to spruce up your outside spaces. First they talk about pavers. Pavers can be a pretty, low-cost option for adding space to your patio or walkway. However, they can be labor-intensive to install & can become tripping hazards if installed improperly, so be sure to do your research! For anyone considering adding pavers, it might be a good idea to go ahead and get a quote for concrete as well. Often, the cost of concrete is not significantly higher, and that may be the better option. Be sure to pay attention to the grade of the area to ensure that water will still flow appropriately once you’ve added your pavers or concrete. If you are unsure about the proper grading, you can call a surveyor, such as On Point Land Survey, who can give you a comprehensive elevation map of your yard. The next improvement you can consider for your patio is upgrading/updating your patio furniture & cushions. Often these easy additions can really dress a space up. The cushions, while adding comfort, are also a great way to add design or pops of color to your space. We often consider these things when decorating our indoor living spaces, but they are just as impactful outside! Another item that is very nice to add outside is a fire pit or chiminea. These add warmth to your outdoor space and a focal point for your patio. They create ambiance and, with good wood choices, can smell amazing! Be sure to consider smoke, safety, and local fire regulations when making your choice. Finally, consider adding some lighting to your space. Lighting can be direct, for help seeing work spaces such as grilling areas, or it can be ambient, for adding calm lighting to a whole area. LED lights are very popular because they use less power, do not create heat, and the bulbs last a very long time. LED lights often come with solar options as well - these charge by day & illuminate by night which eliminates the need to have an outlet nearby and the need to physically turn them on and off. You can choose lights to illuminate a specific area, such as a table, or you can try the very popular option of string lights strug back and forth over your whole patio area. Updating your patio area can really extend your living space to the outdoors, brighten up your exterior, and add value to your time at home. To listen to the full episode of The Brian & Kindra Show, search for them on your favorite podcast service or check out the video on YouTube by searching “The Brian and Kindra Show”. Brian and Kindra hope this information has been helpful to you. As always, if you have any questions or need help, please feel free to reach out to your local real estate professional.

On Season 2 Episode 28 of The Brian and Kindra Show, they are joined by State Farm agent Kevin Cansler to talk about insurance items to pay attention to and how to reduce the amount that you pay for your insurance.First, they discuss with Kevin actual cash value vs. replacement cost insurance. Replacement cost insures your home for the estimated cost of totally rebuilding or replacing your home in the event of a total loss whereas actual cash value will consider the depreciation of your home in determining how much it will pay out. Additionally, pay attention to your policy to see if your roof coverage is actual cash value or replacement value because it is not necessarily the same as the rest of the coverage on your home. It is wise to meet with your insurance agent annually to review the replacement cost estimate in order to make sure that your insurance coverage is increasing at the same rate that the value of your home is increasing. Next they discuss personal property insurance; this coverage is for your possessions inside of your home. There are different kinds of claims for personal property -for example, if your home suffers a total loss such as fire or a tornado, you can use the full limit of your contents coverage, but if were to have some possessions stolen, you can only claim those that are missing up to the policy limits for that type of possession (make sure your limits on specific types of possessions match what you would need to replace them). Do you need flood insurance? With the amount of rain in our area lately, it’s important to know that water coming from outside the home from flooding is not covered under a standard policy, you need to add flood coverage to your policy for this! Often, if your home is in a flood zone, the mortgage company will require you to purchase flood insurance. If your home is not in a flood zone, flood insurance is optional and much less expensive. So, how do you save on insurance costs? The best way to get a low premium is to reduce the risk. Consider adding a security system or an impact resistant roof covering. Another way to reduce your premium is to increase your deductible.Talk with your insurance agent about the level of risk you are comfortable with and the types of insurance you need - whether car, home, liability, or life insurance, you need to make sure you have coverage in place to protect yourself & your family. To listen to the full episode of The Brian & Kindra Show, search for them on your favorite podcast service or check out the video on YouTube by searching “The Brian and Kindra Show”. Brian and Kindra hope this information has been helpful to you. As always, if you have any questions or need help, please feel free to reach out to your local real estate professional.