Close To Home

What kind of timeline should you plan for when putting your house on the market? Brennen tells you what to expect this week on the Clouse Corner. Putting a property up on the market can be a challenging process. From staging, to photo shoots, to actual market logistics there are a lot of things to consider and they all need to occur in a specific timeline. How should you prioritize, what comes first, and how long should you plan for it all to take. Well, that's what we are talking about this week on the Clouse Corner. With any luck this weeks episode will have all in the information you need to start putting together your own sellers timeline! As always  if you have more questions about this or any other topic we are happy to answer them all. You can contact us through our various social media presences:  Instagram Facebook Twitter Also online at: TheClouseGroup.com Thanks for listening! Our Opening theme: “Inspired” By Kevin Mcleod (incomptech.com) Other music (in order used): “Low Life High Life”

In the second of their two part series on small business finance Brennen and Tatiana Tsoir (personal finance wizard, and host of the podcast "Anything Would Work") delve into dicey subject of debt, what's good, what's bad, and how to deal with it.  Hello all you cool cats out there! this week we are bringing you the much anticipated second episode with Tatiana Tsoir! It's been a real blast having her on for a couple of Close to Home episodes in a row here, so we hope you'll show her some love by checking out her new book: “Dream Bold, Start Smart” as well as her personalized learning courses, and her own podcast. You can do all of that, or maybe just one or two, whatever is convenient, over at: tatianatsoir.com And hey, if you're already over there maybe drop her a comment telling her you enjoyed her on the CTH podcast and she should come back, we would sure appreciate it if you did.  Anyway on to the main event, this week while we still have Tatiana's expertise we are talking all about debt, both y

This week Brennen gives a quick overview about what makes a move up buyer and how you can get started on becoming one.  Hello Lovely listeners! This week we are broadcasting from a very special location, our living rooms! apologies for the less than stellar audio quality, we left the good mics at the office. However, we didn't leave the good tips and this week we are going to talk to you about one of the most important things in real estate: being a "move up buyer." Now what is a move up buyer you might ask? The quick and dirty answer is someone who in the process of buying and selling real estate gradually moves into properties of greater and greater value, or, "moves up" if you will. It's really the dream for most people when starting from when they buy their first home, and we want to help you achieve it. How do you get started? Well you'll just have to listen and find out. Keep washing those hands and stay safe out there! If you have any questions about being a move up buyer or anything else feel fre

In the second part of our short series on condos versus single family homes Brennen shares some tips on how to market and sell these two distinct pieces of property. Hello again lovely listeners! I hope you are all staying safe out there. Last week on the Clouse Corner we talked a little bit about what to look for when you’re deciding to buy a condo or a single family home. Well this week the shoe is on the other foot and we are talking to the people out there looking to sell these kinds of properties. Now obviously you could infer a lot of this from last week's episode, in fact let's make a game of it: if you want, listen to last week's episode and then listen to this week's episode and see if we tell you to answer all the questions we told buyers to ask last week. Let us know with a comment or DM if we missed anything, and of course if you think of any new questions we didn’t answer in either we are always happy to answer those questions as well. You can always reach us through our various forms of social m

Starting your own business can be equal parts stressful, rewarding, and challenging. This week we are lucky enough to talk with Tatiana Tsoir, a tax expert and accountant specializing in small business, about setting yourself up to succeed from the beginning. Welcome back Close to Homies!  It’s been a while since we did a Close to Home episode and, as is fitting, we are coming back with a bang. The world of real estate is very large and one could talk about it, even make a podcast about it, basically forever. But sometimes it’s nice to take a step back from the fast paced world of home ownership and check in on the equally exciting world of small business and side hustles! We are so lucky this week to have Tatiana Tsoir on as our guest, not only is she a fabulously talented and intelligent accountant, but a personal friend and long time business adviser to Brennen our host! Together they are going to delve into the financial groundwork every small business needs in order to succeed. If you want to pre-or

This week we are taking on the pros and cons of buying Seattle area condominiums versus single family homes on the Clouse Corner! Hello lovely listeners, these days a lot of us are finding ourselves with a little extra time on our hands. That kind of thing can be a mixed blessing. On the one hand a little extra time to daydream, or maybe enjoy a good book is a precious thing, on the other hand it’s easy to get stuck in a rut thinking the same thoughts over and over again. If you’re one of the people stuck in a small apartment maybe some of those thoughts have been about how you should really get serious about getting a bigger place in the fall. If any of that sounds familiar then this week's episode is for you! Brennen is debating condominiums versus single family homes with… well himself. Look, we’re all short on conversation partners these days. Seriously though, reach out to some friends or family, these are trying times and you’ll probably be glad you did. And if you’re short on conversation partners and

This week Brennen explains credit scores, what is the magic number to get the best loans and mortgages? Listen and find out! Everyone knows a little something about credit. The basic gist is high numbers are good and low numbers are bad, don’t get that one wrong whatever you do! But what are all the things your credit score is used to calculate when it comes to buying a home, and how do you go about improving your credit if it is... let's say less than optimal. Those are exactly the questions we are diving into this week on the Clouse Corner. As a special bonus most of these tips are things you can do from home, which as we all know is quite trendy right now. That was a joke, please stay safe out there. As always if we didn’t answer a question you have or you want a more in depth answer feel free to contact us. We are always available through our various social media channels: Instagram Facebook Twitter Also online at: TheClouseGroup.com Thanks for listening! Our Opening theme: “Inspired” By Kevin Mcleod (inc

This week Brennen talks about one of the most important steps to buying a property, choosing a lender. These days it seems like everything is getting smaller, literally, last week I could go anywhere and now I just live in my house. I mean I always lived in my house but you get my point. The walls are closing in and it seems like the only solution is building strong local infrastructure. What does this have to do with loans and lenders? I am getting there. Now more than ever it seems people are seeing the need for that special something, that local, home grown, organic, touch of personal attention. Minus the actual touch, wash your hands for God's Sake! And that kind of thinking applies to the home buying process as well! Sure, you might have gotten pre-qualified online, most people do, but when it comes to getting pre-approved and beyond that’s when you want that human local touch. That’s just one of the many great tips in this weeks Clouse Corner! If you want to talk more about the finer points of real esta

It’s time to get the details on what’s going on in Seattle's real estate market, Brennen compares and contrasts February of this year with the market in 2019. Hello lovely listeners! We hope all of you are staying safe out there. As you may have guessed we record our episodes a bit in advance so there isn’t any speculation on the effects of Covid 19. We try and pride our podcast on good accurate information and facts and the truth is we don’t have the data yet for accurate predictions on the market. Look forward to next month's market update for that. In the meantime if you find yourself with questions we are always happy to answer them, either via our various social media channels, or in future episodes. Instagram Facebook Twitter Also online at: TheClouseGroup.com Thanks for listening, we hope to hear from you! Our Opening theme: “Inspired” By Kevin Mcleod (incomptech.com) Other music (in order used): “Low Life High Life” By Dan Henig “Ruination 2” By Vibe Mountain “We Don’t Know How it Ends” By Lee Roseve

Now that we’ve talked about the importance of being pre-approved, this week we are going to discuss what to do when that number is not what you were hoping for. So last week we talked about the difference between being prequalified and pre-approved and how important the latter is over the former. If you want a quick refresher take a quick break from reading this and go give it a listen, we can wait. If you’re really pressed for time the broad strokes are: prequalified is a theoretical number for the loan you might eventually be pre-approved for which you will actually use to purchase your property. Get it? Got it? Great. But what do you do when that number is lower than you were hoping for? That’s the question Brennen is looking to answer in this week's Clouse Corner. If you found this weeks episode helpful, or you have ideas for future episodes, you can always reach us on our various social media platforms: Instagram Facebook Twitter Also online at: TheClouseGroup.com Unfortunately there won’t be a Close to

Selling and buying property can be a difficult ordeal so this week Brennen shares his top 5 questions you can use to make sure the agent you’re working with is the best of the best! Hello Close to Homies, I hope everyone out there is washing their hands and not touching their faces! It’s been a while since we  did a good old fashioned top 5 list and we thought we should remedy that! The real estate business is a big industry, and as with any large industry it’s important you pick the people you work with carefully. If you are in the Seattle real estate game and a listener of the show you’re in luck, since you already know at least one good agent! But what if you are moving to a new town and that’s not the case? If you want to make sure the agent you are working with is the best, then take a minute to jot down these five questions because they will put you ahead of the game for making that big purchase! If you have ideas for future top 5 lists or other episodes you can always reach us on our various socia

Hey folks, when we recorded this episode we could not have predicted that it’s release would coincide with the worst day for the stock market since 2008.  No doubt there is a lot of panic out there and we are not trying to contribute to that in any way. Originally this episode was just intended to be an even handed look at where you can best make your own money work for you, splitting pros and cons between the market and owning property. We hope that you our listeners will still be able to put it in that context and hopefully get some good information out of it. Just to reiterate our intention is only even to inform and is never intended to be opportunistic or sensationalizing. You our listeners are very important to us, and we truly hope you are all taking care of yourselves and staying safe out there. If you want to reach out to us with questions, or just to let us know how you are doing, we would love to listen: Instagram Facebook Twitter Also online at: TheClouseGroup.com Our Opening theme: “Inspir

This week Brennen breaks down why being pre-approved is an important and necessary step in the home buying process. Hello again lovely listeners! We are back again with our favorite hobby: busting misconceptions about the home buying process wise open. Now at a first glance being pre-approved for a loan and being prequalified for a loan would seem to be two ways of saying the same thing, but they are not. You might have talked to someone and know roughly what you are prequalified for, in terms of a loan, but that number is not the same as what you can necessarily expect to get pre-approved for. That’s why this week on the Clouse Corner we are getting into all the differences between the two, and also why you should be working off the number that you are pre-approved for and not the one you’re prequalified for! Get ready to hear the term “pre” a lot in this weeks preview into the preconceptions surrounding these predetermining prefigurements on the Clouse Corner! As always you can reach us on our various socia

This week Brennen shares his most up to date checklist for buying in 2020. Hello Close to Homies! It’s a real pleasure to be back bringing you that inside information on purchasing property that we are known for. This week Brennen has a real treat in store. Everyone knows that buying a house is complicated. There are credit checks, paperwork, home inspections, more paperwork, down payments, closing costs, more paperwork, you get the idea. It’s a balancing act with enough spinning plates to make a circus bear run for cover. Luckily we are here for you. In just 10 minutes we are going to run you through the must have checklist, so that you can feel prepared and ahead of the game at each step in the intricate home buying process. Think of it as the cliff notes, or a crib sheet, you’ll still have to put in the work, but if you follow our guidelines you’ll be prepared for anything that gets thrown at you in process. Of course in the property game you’re only ever as good as the team behind you, so if any of you ar

It’s Market update time! Brennen is going to give us all the latest on the Seattle real estate market. Hello Lovely listeners! Not a whole lot to describe this week to be honest. If you’ve been around here for a while you know how this song and dance goes. It’s the Market update! The best source for your up to date comparison of the Seattle real estate and how it has shifted in the last year. What was the market like in January of last year versus now? Well, you will have to listen to find out. It’s useful stuff. Whether you are looking to buy or sell soon, or you just want to be up to date on the latest trends and what it means for the market, the monthly update is the episode for you. And of course if you are looking to sell consider reaching out to us, we love hearing from you, and working with you! Also, if you’re just here for the content that’s cool too (we do have a pretty sweet theme song). Anyway that’s all for this week folks. Catch you on Wednesday for Close to Home and as always thanks for listeni

This week Brennen gives the do’s and don’t for romancing your dream home this Valentines day. Hello lovely listeners! With Valentine's Day just around the corner we thought this would be a good week to shake up our format. Instead of our usual talk about crown moldings, and market numbers, this week we are a dating show, and we are giving out free couples counseling on how to forge a relationship that lasts a lifetime. Of course we’re talking about the relationship between a house and it’s owner, what else would we be talking about? After all, in order to fill a room with roses first things first you need a room, right? Seriously though, sometimes in life, and house hunting, sometimes you just have a moment where things click and you know, deep in your bones, that this is it, the real thing, the L word. The problem is sometimes that house you love has a full blown case of the crazies and might destroy your life. Not on our watch, listen to these tips and you’ll find yourself settling down with a nice sensible

On this very special episode of the Close to Home Podcast, Brennen lets you peak behind the curtain for an in depth look at what the last two years of working as a real estate agent in Seattle have taught him. Greeting Close-to-Homies! I wonder if I will ever not cringe typing that out? Maybe, who knows what the future can hold. If past experience is any indicator probably not. Sometimes the only way we can make sense of the uncertain future ahead of us is to look back at the people we used to be for a blueprint. That is exactly what this week's episode is all about. You all know Brennen as our energetic host, the content king of Compass Real Estate, or perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to have first hand experience working with him. If you haven’t, then this week is your chance for the next best thing. This week Brennen is going to share some of his biggest takeaways, breakthroughs, and general wisdom, from his last two years as a real estate agent. That’s right we are getting personal up in here! Enough talk

This week on the Clouse Corner: Brennen delves into the differences between closing costs and the down payment when it comes to purchasing a property. Hello lovely listeners! This week we thought explaining the difference between the closing cost and down payment would be helpful. These two share a lot of overlap so it’s worth picking some nits so that you, our listeners, can better understand how to prepare for them, and get all the bang possible out of your buck. Who knows if you listen carefully you might even pick up a couple tricks for how to get someone else to pick up some of the metaphorical tab. But you’ll have to listen to find out! As always if you have questions please feel free to reach out to us on our various social media accounts: Instagram Facebook Twitter Also online at: TheClouseGroup.com Thanks for listening! Our Opening theme: “Inspired” By Kevin Mcleod (incomptech.com) Other music (in order used): “Low Life High Life” By Dan Henig “Ruination 2” By Vibe Mountain “We Don’t Know How it End

This week Brennen takes a short historic look at the cost of renting versus buying in the marketplace.  Hello again lovely listeners! Can you believe the first month of a new year is almost over? It seems like just last week we were celebrating the new year! I guess time flies when you're cranking out content! And speaking of content, this week we are bring you something a little different. You've heard us talk about renting and buying before on the podcast (big surprise we advocate for buying over renting) but this week we thought it would be interesting to take a more historic look at the why behind that stance. It's a super quick episode so it won't take more than the time for you to finish you coffee and go, "huh."   As always we hope you enjoy it. If you have any recommendations for future episodes, or other topics you would like us to take a deep dive on please reach out, we love to hear from you! As Always you can reach us on any of our various social media channels: Instagram Facebook Twitte

This week Brennen coaches would-be buyers on the best techniques for buying and selling homes in the new year.  Hello lovely listeners! If you have been listening to us for any period of time you are probably aware that real estate is an ever shifting market. So, if you are wanting to get the most money for your home, or make you money go further towards purchasing new property for yourself you have to stay up to date. This week Brennen prepares for the new year by laying out his top tips for people looking to buy and sell in 2020. These are not just tips for the seasoned listener though, if you are new around here, first off welcome, and be sure to take some notes! One of the biggest takeaways you’ll get from this week's episode is in 2020 preparation is going to be king. Fortune will favor people who do their research and find agents who are ready and willing to help bring out the best in their properties. Agents like Brennen! But of course no pressure. Well, maybe a little. Did you find this guide u