Greater Milwaukee Real Estate Podcast with Mike Roth
50 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago -If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from The Roth Team - your professional Greater Milwaukee Real Estate Agents.
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Episodes
WHEDA: Your Pathway to First-Time Home Buying
February 29, 2024 00:00 VideoHow WHEDA loans offer a lower mortgage rate and easier homeownership. Today, we’re thrilled to have Tim Lammers join us to share his expertise on a special financing option available to Wisconsin residents: the WHEDA loan. As a seasoned lender working with a variety of mortgage options, Tim offers invaluable insights into how WHEDA loans can benefit first-time homebuyers. WHEDA stands for the Wisconsin Housing Economic Development Authority, which offers a unique loan option for first-tim...
WHEDA: Your Pathway to First-Time Home Buying
February 26, 2024 08:00 VideoHow WHEDA loans offer a lower mortgage rate and easier homeownership. Today, we’re thrilled to have Tim Lammers join us to share his expertise on a special financing option available to Wisconsin residents: the WHEDA loan. As a seasoned lender working with a variety of mortgage options, Tim offers invaluable insights into how WHEDA loans can benefit first-time homebuyers. WHEDA stands for the Wisconsin Housing Economic Development Authority, which offers a unique loan option for first-tim...
The Roth Team's 20-Point Plan for Selling Homes in a Cool Market
February 19, 2024 08:00 VideoGoing over how our 20-point active marketing strategy can help you. Selling your home in a market that isn’t as sizzling as it was in early 2023 can present its challenges. Homes are lingering on the market for extended periods, with the average days stretching from a mere seven to a more patient 30 to 45 days. The burning question on many homeowners’ minds is, “What can be done to ensure a swift sale?” It’s a valid concern, and the answer lies in understanding the dynamics of real estate...
Decoding Property Taxes: Is Your Home's Value Accurate?
February 01, 2024 08:00 VideoDon’t keep guessing—find out what your home’s true value is. Many of us are now receiving our tax bills and wondering about the accuracy of our property’s assessed value. The question arises: Is my house really worth what the tax assessment suggests, and am I paying too much in taxes? We understand the confusion that comes with tax assessments. Our 40 years of experience in real estate have taught us that these assessments can sometimes be too low or too high. It’s crucial not to rely sol...
7 Reasons Why Winter is the Hottest Time To Sell
January 22, 2024 08:00 VideoSelling your home this winter might be better than waiting until spring. As we go through the winter chill of January, a common question that clients ask me is whether they should wait until spring to sell their homes. Because of that, I’d like to share with you seven compelling reasons why selling your home now in the winter might be better than waiting for spring. 1. Low interest rates. As of now, interest rates have dropped to as low as 5.875% to 6.25% for fixed-rate mortgages. These r...
Beat the Cold, Sell Bold: 3 Key Tips for Winter Home Sellers
December 21, 2023 00:00 VideoEmbracing the chillier months as an advantageous time to sell your home might seem counterintuitive, but don’t underestimate the unique opportunities that come with showcasing your property during winter. While many homeowners tend to shy away from selling this time of the year, savvy sellers know that with the right strategy, you can get top dollar for your property and reap the benefits of the seasonal change. Here are a few of the best reasons to sell right now: 1. Interest rates are stil...
Buying Your Dream Home? Here's How To Stand Out as a Serious Buyer
October 26, 2023 08:00 VideoAre you embarking on the exciting journey of finding your dream home? The process can be both exhilarating and challenging. To enhance your prospects of landing your dream property, consider these three crucial tips that not only empower you but also make you an appealing buyer in the eyes of the seller: 1. Boost your appeal with a mortgage pre-approval. Demonstrate your seriousness and readiness to purchase by obtaining a mortgage pre-approval. This preliminary step not only helps you estab...
Your Path to Homeownership: Key Strategies for Buying Your Dream Home
October 11, 2023 10:00 VideoAre you embarking on the exciting journey of finding your dream home? The process can be both exhilarating and challenging. To enhance your prospects of landing your dream property, consider these three crucial tips that not only empower you but also make you an appealing buyer in the eyes of the seller: 1. Boost your appeal with a mortgage pre-approval. Demonstrate your seriousness and readiness to purchase by obtaining a mortgage pre-approval. This preliminary step not only helps you estab...
Increase Your Home’s Value: Expert Strategies for a Successful Sale
September 19, 2023 10:00 VideoIf you’re thinking about selling your home anytime soon, you need to know how to get the most money out of it. Too many people fall into the trap of thinking they don’t need to put in any work or that they need to spend enormous amounts of money to increase the value of their homes. The truth is that effort is necessary, but a little bit can go a long way. Here are my three tips for how to increase the value of your home: 1. Make a good first impression. The truth is that the first look can...
The Top 3 Things You Shouldn’t Fix When Getting a House Ready To Sell
September 01, 2023 10:00 VideoWhen preparing to sell your house, you need to make sure it’s appealing to potential buyers. Many homeowners rush to fix every little flaw thinking it will boost their property’s value, but not every improvement will yield a significant return on investment. To help you avoid the ones that aren’t worthwhile, here are the top three things you should avoid fixing when getting your house ready to sell: 1. Minor HVAC, electrical, and plumbing issues. While well-maintained and fully functional s...
The Seller’s Handbook: 3 Essential Steps to Ace Your Home Sale
August 02, 2023 10:00 VideoAre you looking to sell your home in the near future? If you are, you need a plan to get the most money possible for your home while ensuring a smooth sale. As a real estate agent, I help people buy and sell houses every single day, so I know what it takes to get top dollar for your property. Here are three things you absolutely need to know before you list your home: 1. Find the perfect price. Pricing can make or break a deal. It’s like finding the perfect balance between attracting potenti...
3 Easy Tips To Sell Your Home Fast
June 23, 2023 10:00 VideoDo you need to sell your house as soon as possible? Maybe you need to relocate for a new job soon, or perhaps you just don’t want to draw out the hassle of a home sale. Whatever your reason is, you don’t need to worry. I have tons of experience helping homeowners sell their properties quickly. Here are three things I’ve learned that will help you sell as soon as possible without sacrificing your final sales price: 1. Prepare your home before putting it on the market. The better your home loo...
Navigating the Complexities of Contingencies
May 22, 2023 10:00 VideoDo you already own a home but want to buy a new one? Unfortunately, not everyone has the money to keep two homes and pay both mortgages. Most people will have to sell their current property to have the funds to pay for the new house. However, two transactions can sometimes mean double the headache. If you’re in this position, what can you do to ensure a successful home purchase? One option that you have is to include a home-sale contingency clause in your offer. This means you will only buy ...
How To Make Money by Investing in Real Estate
May 01, 2023 00:00 VideoHow much do you know about the power of investing in real estate? The truth is that this avenue can be very lucrative and help you build long-term wealth. However, know upfront that this type of investing is much more about the long game, and you’ll need to be patient. The sooner you start, the more you can earn. Over the years, people have gotten their start in real estate investing in various ways. Some people have rented out part of their homes, lived with their families a little longer,...
A Seller's Guide to Home Sale Documentation
April 20, 2023 10:00 VideoAre you looking to sell a home? At times, it may seem like you are adrift on an endless sea of paperwork. So many documents are required during the sale of a home that it can be confusing and worrisome. It’s easy to become overwhelmed, which is why I’ve put together this brief primer to help you navigate the process. This isn’t an exhaustive list of all the documents you might need during a sale, but it should help you get the ball rolling. 1. Pre-listing paperwork. This is possibly the most...
Zillow Doesn’t Know What Your Home Is Worth
July 21, 2022 00:00 VideoHere’s why you shouldn’t trust Zillow’s home price estimates. “Is my home worth what Zillow says it is?” Probably not. Sometimes those Zestimates are too low, and other times, they’re too high. Zillow has been around since 2007, and I’ve been selling real estate since 1981, so I have a little more experience than Zillow does regarding pricing. Not only that, but Zillow also doesn’t have any agents in our area. Their numbers are completely driven by algorithms—they guess what your home mig...
What You Shouldn't Do When Buying a Home
July 07, 2022 00:00 VideoFour all-too-common home buying mistakes that you should avoid. Buying a home can get complicated fast. Whether you’re buying for the first time, the second time, or the fiftieth time, you want to avoid these four common mistakes: Mistake No.1: Not getting pre-approved. You want to get pre-approved, and in most cases, you can do it over the phone in less than 24 hours. Mistake No. 2: Getting pre-approved by an out-of-state or online lender. You’ve never met this person and can’t go to t...
7 Reasons Why Your Home Isn’t Selling
June 09, 2022 00:00 VideoSeven reasons why you may be having trouble selling your home. Today I’ll talk about seven common mistakes that homeowners make when they decide to sell their homes: 1. Picking the wrong agent. Most people pick an agent based on their relation to them. They choose an agent who could be their brother, uncle, nephew, or cousin rather than hiring a seasoned real estate agent with the right qualifications and experience to get the job done. 2. Overpricing. There’s always a sweet spot of wher...
You Should List With a Full-Service Broker
May 27, 2022 00:00 VideoFour reasons why you should work with a full-service brokerage. Today I’ll talk about full-service brokerage services versus discount brokerage services, or as we call it, full service versus limited service. It certainly sounds attractive when these companies offer the same service for 1-3% less. However, here are four points you want to consider before making a decision: 1. Exposure and resources. At Shorewest Realtors, we have a thousand agents that will compete for a 25% bonus to sell...
Why You Shouldn’t Work With a Discount Brokerage
May 27, 2022 00:00 VideoFour reasons why you should work with a full-service brokerage. Today I’ll talk about full-service brokerage services versus discount brokerage services, or as we call it, full service versus limited service. It certainly sounds attractive when these companies offer the same service for up to 3% less. However, here are four points you want to consider before making a decision: 1. Exposure and resources. At Shore West Realtors, we have a thousand agents that will compete for a 25% bonus to...
A Couple Tips for Showing Your Home
May 06, 2022 00:00 VideoHere are a few things you can do to help your home show better. I’m often asked by sellers about what they should do when someone comes to see their property. That’s why today I want to share some advice for showing your home. I recommend that you leave your home during the showing for several reasons. One of the main reasons is that buyers feel more comfortable seeing your house and opening up to their agent if you’re not there. Another thing I would recommend is leaving every single ...
How Buyers Should Approach This Market
April 15, 2022 00:00 VideoSix tips that will help you navigate this market as a buyer. If you’ve considered purchasing a home this year, here are six things you should know about buying in today’s market: 1. Have a good Realtor to help you find leads. Many buyers are saying there are no listings available, but new listings are coming out every day—you just have to find them. 2. You have hours to make a decision, not days. If you see a house you like in this market, don’t wait multiple days to jump on it. If you d...
5 Reasons to Sell Your Investment Properties
March 21, 2022 00:00 VideoHere’s why now is a good time to sell your investment properties. Whether they’re single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses, or multi-family apartment buildings, why should you consider selling your real estate investment properties now? Today I’ll share five reasons why selling them soon is a good idea: 1. The prices are at a peak. Prices have been going up for the last 10 years—at some point, that increase is going to stop. 2. Rent is at a premium price right now. Rents are at the high...
Why You Should Hire an Agent When Selling
February 25, 2022 00:00 VideoFive reasons why it’s best to have a real estate agent help sell your home. Many sellers are thinking that the real estate market is hot, so why should they bother hiring an agent when they could sell their homes themselves? Here are five main reasons why it’s better to have a real estate agent sell your property: 1. Experience. Experience makes a difference and can’t be replaced. I’ve had over 40 years of experience in all the different things that can come up during a transaction. No m...
5 Ways To Compete in Multiple-Offer Situations
February 08, 2022 00:00 VideoFive tips to help you improve your chances of getting a home. Given how our low-inventory, high-demand seller’s market is rife with competition, today I thought it would be a good idea to share how buyers can gain a competitive edge in multiple-offer situations. After all, buyers often face difficulties finding homes these days. Here are five ways to stand a fighting chance if you’re looking to buy a house: 1. Get pre-approved by a lender. I don’t just mean a pre-qualification letter but ...
The Difference Between Assessed and Market Value
January 18, 2022 12:00 VideoThe difference between a home’s tax assessed value and fair market value. This question comes up for many people this time of year when they receive their new tax bills: What’s the difference between a property’s tax assessed value and its fair market value? As you likely know, property values are increasing, so are market values rising too? The fair market value of your home is not based on the tax assessed value. Sometimes your tax assessed value can be too high or low, and luckily tha...
3 Tips for Selling Tenant-Occupied Properties
December 22, 2021 00:00 VideoHere are three useful tips for selling a tenant-occupied property. Many of our clients own investment properties, whether they’re single-family, duplexes, or multifamily properties, which we can help you with because every sales agent on our team is an experienced landlord. We own rental properties and can share our experience with you. If you’re considering selling a tenant-occupied property, here are three things I recommend you do: 1. Share your objective with your tenant. If you’re se...
Sell Now or Wait Until Spring?
December 07, 2021 00:00 VideoHere are four reasons why you should consider selling this winter. Around this time of year, we’re often asked if now is a good time to sell or if sellers are better off waiting until spring. Here are four reasons why you should consider selling your home now: 1. Low interest rates. Right now, there are fixed-rate mortgages as low as 2.75% to 3.25%. Some short-term loans are as low as 2.25%. This is a big reason to sell now because when rates go up 1%, it’ll cost buyers a lot more. 2. Lo...
Greater Milwaukee Area Market Update: November 2021
November 23, 2021 00:00 VideoHere’s a real estate market update as we head into late November. We’re going into late November, so it’s a good time for a market update. We had 1,772 sales through October in the Milwaukee metro area, which is a lot. However, compared to last year, October 2020, the market sales are down 12%. Our team was fortunate enough to help 27 families in October, and The Roth Team had already helped 12 families by mid-November. In the five-county metro area, there were only 4,391 homes for s...
Milwaukee Market Update: November 2021
November 23, 2021 00:00 VideoHere’s a real estate market update as we head into late November. We’re going into late November, so it’s a good time for a market update. We had 1,772 sales through October in the Milwaukee metro area, which is a lot. However, compared to last year, October 2020, we’re down 12%. Our team was fortunate enough to help 27 families in October, and we’ve already helped 12 families by mid-November. In the five-county metro area, there were only 4,391 homes for sale in October. Last year, ...
Should You Sell or Rent Out Your House?
May 21, 2021 09:00 VideoHere are four questions to ask yourself before renting out your house. A question we sometimes receive from clients ready to make a move is whether they should sell or rent out their house. Some people consider renting it out because they may not have been able to sell, get the price they wanted, or they feel it’s a good investment. Here are four questions to ask yourself before deciding to rent out your house: 1. Do you want to be a landlord? I’m a landlord, and responsibilities come wit...
Q: Should You Sell or Rent Out Your House?
May 18, 2020 13:44 VideoHere are four questions to ask about whether to sell or rent your house to tenants. A frequent question we receive when clients are moving to a new home is: “Should I sell or rent out my previous residence?” Some people consider renting it because they couldn’t sell it, couldn’t get the price they wanted, or think it’ll be a good investment. To help you make this decision, there are four questions you need to ask yourself: 1. Do you want to be a landlord? Responsibilities come with this p...
How We’ve Changed Home Showings
May 01, 2020 17:28 VideoSince the COVID-19 outbreak, the process of showing homes has had to change. During this stay-at-home period, real estate is considered an essential business, which means we can still operate by listing, showing, buying, and selling real estate. However, we do have to follow certain guidelines to keep our agents and clients safe. For one, home showings must be done by appointment only, and no more than five people will be allowed into a home at a time—only the decision-makers in a family ...
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected Our Market
April 23, 2020 17:28 VideoDespite the COVID-19 pandemic, buyers are still buying and sellers are still selling in our market. How have the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent stay-at-home ordinances (which have been extended until the end of May) affected the real estate market? Real estate has been deemed an essential service, and obviously, the health and safety of our clients is our top priority. We can still show homes by appointment only and list them, and while showing homes, we do our utmost to practice social...
Trust a Seasoned Agent, Not an Algorithm
January 28, 2020 21:26 VideoHere’s what you should know about how Zillow determines the value of your home and why it’s flawed. With the growing popularity of Zillow and other instant offer sites like it comes one important question: Can you trust Zillow’s estimate of your home’s value? For perspective, Zillow has only been around since 2007; I’ve been in real estate since 1981, so I think I have a leg up on Zillow. In most cases, when Zillow comes up with its valuation (known as a Zestimate), they don’t even step ...
What the Real Estate Market Will Do in 2020
January 09, 2020 17:56 VideoToday I’m sharing my predictions regarding prices, inventory, interest rates and average days on market. To bring you up to speed on our current real estate market, interest rates are still low, and we’re looking at fixed-rate mortgages as low as 3% to 3.5%. Here are my predictions on what the market will do in this new year: 1. Interest rates will stay low. The government said it wants to hold interest rates, so I think for at least the next six months you can expect them to stay low, b...
5 Dangers of Overpricing Your Home
August 01, 2019 17:25 VideoAll sellers want to get the most they can out of their home sale. However, there are some issues associated with listing your home for too high of a price. Today, I’ll be discussing the five dangers of overpricing your property. An overpriced home will lead to fewer showings. The fewer showings you have, the fewer chances you have to get an offer on your home. An overpriced home will attract the wrong buyers. Buyers seek out homes based on their price brackets. If your home is missing ...
3 Questions To Ask Your Potential Realtor
April 25, 2019 22:28 VideoBefore saying, “You’re hired,” when interviewing a real estate agent to represent you, you’ll want to be sure they possess the hallmarks of a worthy candidate. To that end, today I’m sharing three questions you should ask any potential hire: What is your list-to-sales-price ratio? In our local market, this figure varies considerably—it could be anywhere from 93% to 95%. On average, our team’s ratio is at about 97%, which means we’re helping sellers net 2% to 4% more on their sale. What...
How to Handle the Issue of Buyer Repair Requests
April 15, 2019 20:30 VideoSellers often ask me, “What should I do if a buyer finds a defect in my home? Should I fix the defect, give the buyer a credit, or can I sell the home as-is?” Well, the answer to that question is best determined by you and the buyer. When the buyer hires a professional inspector, that inspector must cite everything they see; if they do find a defect, that must be disclosed on their report to not only that buyer, but also to any other buyer you’re selling to. In most instances as a seller,...
Do You Need to Attend Your Home’s Showings?
April 15, 2019 20:07 VideoToday I thought I’d answer a question that I’m often asked by sellers: “Should I be present during my home’s showings?” Some times, sellers think they know their home more than their agent and can share that information with the buyer. However, when the seller is present at a showing, it can and does make the buyer a little uncomfortable. If you’re not there, they’ll be more comfortable, honest, and open. If you’re there, the buyer might be afraid to give that honest feedback because they ...
You Really Don’t Want to Make Any of These 10 Homebuying Blunders
March 04, 2019 15:32 VideoThe homebuying process can be complicated, but it’s compounded when the buyer acts without the proper knowledge of what they’re doing. They may seem like common sense to avoid, but believe it or not, the following 10 mistakes to avoid have actually happened in transactions: Financing new purchases after applying for a mortgage. You absolutely do not want to make any other major purchases while you’re in the process of getting a mortgage for a home, including a car, furniture, or the like...
Summing Up the 2018 Real Estate Market
January 25, 2019 10:00 VideoIn 2018, we saw the number of homes that actually sold in the Greater Milwaukee area drop about 2.5% compared to 2017. Interestingly enough, the number of listings that came on the market was also down almost 5%, meaning there were fewer homes available for buyers to choose from. Overall, in most marketplaces, we saw prices go up anywhere from 5% to 6%. “With all the buyers trying to lock in a home before the interest rates go up again, now is the time to put your home on the market, even ...
What Will Our 2019 Market Look Like?
January 25, 2019 10:00 VideoNow that we’ve entered the new year, let’s take a moment and share our predictions for what lies ahead. There are four main things we can expect moving forward. “What’s happening now in our local real estate market, and how will things play out through the rest of this year? Find out in today’s message.” Interest rates will probably rise. Though rates are still historically low, they are set to go up at least twice in 2019. Now may be the time to lock in rates while they’re still betwee...
Why Should Snowbirds Consider Selling Now?
December 17, 2018 22:31 VideoIn my last blog, I talked about a few of the reasons why I think it’s a better idea to sell now than in the spring. A lot of clients in our are are “snowbirds.” This means that they don’t live in Wisconsin from November through April or May. Here are three reasons why the snow birds out there should also consider selling their home now as opposed to when they get back in the spring: 1. There is less hassle for you. You’re gone. You only have to get your house ready to show when you leave. ...
5 Reasons to Consider Selling Your Home Now
November 15, 2018 17:38 VideoA lot of our clients have been asking us if they should wait until spring to sell their home. Truthfully, there are quite a few things they can take advantage of in the market by selling now. Here are five reasons to sell now instead of waiting until spring: 1. Homes are still selling every day. In the next 90 days, we expect to sell over 3,000 single-family homes in the greater metro area. In November and December of last year and January of this year, there were over 3,3000 single-family...
5 Things Buyers and Sellers Should Know About Today's Market
August 29, 2018 14:22 VideoNow that we’ve reached the end of summer, it’s time for a market update. I was looking at some statistics from our MLS recently and discovered five things I think you should all be aware of: 1. The number of listings is down. This is true for all the various counties in our local market. Milwaukee County is down about 8%, Waukesha County is down about 7%, Ozaukee County is down 8.6%, Washington County is down 11.1%, Walworth County is down 11.5%, and Racine County is down 8.3%. So, as you ...
An Innovative Technology That Will Change How We Help Buyers and Sellers
July 11, 2018 19:47 VideoToday I’d like to discuss some innovative technology our company utilizes to help buyers and sellers. We call this technology our Shorewest Real Estate Hotline. Essentially, this is a 24-hour, bilingual information line that generates results for buyers and sellers. This replaces the old system of putting a brochure in a box in front of a house. Here’s how the Hotline works: We put a hotline number, (262) 814 1400, on our signs, with is a PIN designated to that particular property. A buy...
Do You Need to Leave Room for Negotiation?
June 14, 2018 15:50 VideoShould you leave room for negotiation in your list price? Many people think that they need to take thousands or tens of thousands less than their asking price. That’s not true. I looked up some statistics for Greater Milwaukee and checked the average list-to-sale price ratio. Here’s what I found for each county in the Greater Milwaukee area: Milwaukee County- 98% Waukesha County- 98.3% Ozaukee County- 98% Washington County- 98.6% Racine County- 98.7% Walworth County- 96.7% “Th...
6 Reasons Open Houses Don’t Work Anymore
May 29, 2018 14:00 VideoDo you really need an open house to sell your house? Actually, you don’t. There are six reasons why open houses don’t work anymore: 1. Only 1% of all buyers come from open houses. I’ve been in this business 37 years. I’ve done hundreds of open houses and I can count on my two hands the number of buyers that actually purchased a house they walked into during the open house. 2. You tend to get buyers who are just lookers, or looky-loos. You also get nosy neighbors who want to know what you...
Preparing Your Home for a Showing
April 06, 2018 20:17 VideoAfter you’ve done all the decluttering, cleaning, and depersonalizing, it’s time to get your home ready for a showing. Here are seven tips that will help you get your home sold: 1. Have buyers and agents come through your front door. Your home always presents itself better this way because you’re entering through the largest room in your house. 2. Get the most use out of your natural light. During daytime showings, have all your blinds pulled up or at least open. Your home shows best with...