Texas Real Estate Bible Podcast
66 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 13 ratingsEveryone has a real estate story, and this is the podcast that gives you the information you need to keep your story from becoming a horror story!
Join Houston based agents Karen and Kevin Scott as they share stories (some of them cautionary tales) of the real estate industry in Texas.
Funny, irreverent, and real, Karen and Kevin bring their own style to the show and share with you their perspectives and experiences in this sometimes crazy and other times shocking industry.
You can reach the hosts by calling 832-559-0480.
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Episodes
067 - Wire Fraud, it's a real thing
December 10, 2018 03:24 - 39 minutes - 18.6 MBWire fraud rears its ugly head and strikes one of Karen's clients.
066 - Shenanigans!
October 17, 2018 03:47 - 42 minutes - 20 MBKaren and Kevin dive deep into the dark underworld of property taxes when they uncover shenanigans being played by a new home builder aimed at increasing the tax assessments on houses that had already been sold. After enlisting the help of a local journalist, they end up face to face with a surprisingly helpful representative of the Harris County Tax Office.
065 - Jon Rosenthal
October 03, 2018 01:58 - 1 hour - 28.6 MBWe normally tend to try to steer clear of discussing politics because frankly, the topic sucks, and it's not entertaining to hear people bitch and moan about what's wrong with the country. After all, if you want to see a change in how our government works, you should run for office and do something about it instead of complaining. This week, we bring you an example of just that. Jon Rosenthal is a personal friend of ours who has put himself out there to run for a seat in House District...
064 - Where have we been?
August 12, 2018 18:52 - 35 minutes - 16.3 MBWhere have we been? That's a good question. Listen to this episode to find out what caused our long break from the show and what you can expect for the future.
063 - Multifamily Syndication with Joseph Gozlan
January 21, 2018 03:35 - 50 minutes - 23 MBIn today's episode, we interview Joseph Gozlan from EBG Acquisitions. Joseph is a multifamily investments specialist. Leading group acquisitions of over $11MM in real estate and providing asset management services to a portfolio of 156 units with 97 additional units currently under contract and growing. In our conversation, we learn more about multifamily properties, how syndication works, and how individuals can participate in these investments with their retirement dollars. Josep...
062 - Back in the Saddle
December 09, 2017 03:19 - 47 minutes - 21.8 MBIt's been a long time since we published our last episode. Too long. In today's episode we catch you up on the series of unfortunate events that have kept Karen and Kevin away from the mics for so long.
061 - Closing Day!
September 27, 2017 05:01 - 47 minutes - 21.6 MBKaren closed on a transaction she's been working on for quite some time, and shares the ups and downs of the transaction. Listen as she shares the blow by blow of the negotiation and how it played out. Having an agent who will negotiate hard for you and protect your negotiating position is crucial, and so many agents throw their clients under the bus in the hopes of closing the transaction quickly.
060 - Smart Zip
September 20, 2017 05:01 - 1 hour - 32.6 MBToday, we bring you an interview with Aaron Moore of Smart Zip. Karen recently became a client of Aaron's because they do some pretty impressive things with applying data analytics and applying it to real estate.
059 - Hurricane Harvey
September 07, 2017 02:30 - 1 hour - 38 MBIn this supersized episode, we talk about what we did leading up to and in the aftermath of the arrival of Hurricane Harvey. I don't think we need much more of an introduction than that.
058 - Eric Dolan, Owner, Postnet Tomball
August 23, 2017 05:01 - 40 minutes - 18.5 MBFrom time to time we like to welcome other entrepreneurs on the show to talk about their businesses and their own real estate stories. This week, we welcome our friend Eric Dolan, who in his career has been in the Army, the Oil & Gas industry, and is now in business for himself. As the owner of the PostNet franchise in Tomball, TX, Eric shares a number of stories about the challenges and rewards of starting his own business. He talks about lessons he's learned and some interesting people...
057 - The Market Doesn't Give A Sh!t
August 09, 2017 05:01 - 38 minutes - 17.6 MBWhen it comes to pricing your home, the market really, truly doesn't give a shit about two things that are probably really important to you as a seller: * What you owe on the house * How much cash you expect to get out of the sale (for whatever reason) We opened this episode chatting about the state of the market in Houston, and why it's not going down as many people believe. In fact, recent sales figures for the overall market seem to indicate that the market is still strong, with...
056 - Brian K. Wright, Ghost Writer
August 02, 2017 05:01 - 45 minutes - 20.7 MBThe stated purpose of this podcast has from the beginning been to generate content that would eventually become a book. As we've stressed in the past, if you want a job done right, you have to hire a competent professional to help you. We believe this with real estate, and we took our own advice when it came to writing the book based on this show. We've been doing this for over a year now, and we have hired Brian K. Wright to ghost write our book for us. In this episode you'll find out ...
055 - Seller Commandment 4 - Thou Shalt Understand The Closing Disclosure
July 26, 2017 05:00 - 52 minutes - 24 MBIn this, the 10th and final Client Commandment, we cover the basics of the Closing Disclosure, and the things you really should know about before you sit down at the closing table. We bring you up to speed about the things you should question, and the things that really are normal. We also get in to some story telling about a home warranty company that really needs to be called out for being sleazy. Enjoy the fireworks!
054 - (Rebroadcast) Adam Ruins Everything Rebuttal
July 19, 2017 05:01 - 1 hour - 30.6 MBThis week, we rebroadcast for you our mutual favorite episode, our rebuttal to the Adam Ruins Everything episode on real estate. Since Kevin is traveling internationally, we are broadcasting this "best of" episode from our archives. We will return next week with a new original episode.
053 - HUD Homes
July 12, 2017 05:01 - 38 minutes - 17.8 MBAre you a police officer, fire fighter, teacher, or EMT? If so, you qualify to get your house for 50% off of list price by buying it from HUD! This week, we explore a source of potential homes and investment houses that most people don't normally think of. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD for short. When a bank forecloses on a loan that has been guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration, the government makes the bank whole and the house ends up ...
052 - Stupid Agent Tricks
June 28, 2017 05:01 - 48 minutes - 22.1 MBDavid Letterman had a recurring segment on his show called "Stupid Pet Tricks". Similarly, we are introducing "Stupid Agent Tricks" as (probably) a recurring topic on the show. In the episode, we discuss some of the "sinners" we've run in to recently. We talk about the latest abomination from the brokers, gurus, and sales coaches who think the BINGO card pictured here is a great way to motivate their agents to do something they hate - make cold calls. Can you imagine yourself *hopin...
051 - Community Spotlight: Daniel Johnson
June 21, 2017 05:00 - 51 minutes - 23.7 MBIf you know an entrepreneur, they'll tell you that being in business for yourself is a pretty lonely existence. Many people say they want to own their own business, but only a small fraction of people actually do, so it's difficult to find other entrepreneurs who understand the struggle. For this reason, we are using the platform of our podcast to connect with and give exposure to entrepreneurs in our community that we vibe with. This week, we highlight Daniel Johnson, one half of th...
050 - Communication Styles Part 2
June 14, 2017 05:00 - 45 minutes - 21 MBThis week we celebrate our 50th episode by finishing our conversation with Tinja Anderson-Shiery. In this episode, we cover the remaining two communication archetypes, Analyticals and Drivers. Both Karen and I scored very high on the Driver scale, so you'll learn a little something about both of us by listening to this episode.
049 - Communication Styles Part 1
June 07, 2017 06:01 - 47 minutes - 21.7 MBHave you ever met someone and knew almost instantly that you were going to get along great with them? What about the opposite, where you almost instantly know you are NOT going to get along? Much of that first impression comes from the communication style of the sender and the receiver. This week, we welcome back Tinja Anderson-Shiery to the show to talk about the 4 major communication styles. She reveals to us what our styles are according to the test we took. Nobody is all one style,...
048 - Questions Your Agent CAN'T Answer
June 01, 2017 04:11 - 53 minutes - 24.7 MBWhen we were homebuyers, it was irritating to us that our agent wouldn’t answer certain questions that we thought were perfectly reasonable. Now that Karen is an agent, we know exactly why he wouldn’t provide direct answers to what we thought were simple questions. Questions like: “What are the demographics in this area?” "How are the schools here?” “What are the crime statistics of this neighborhood?” “Is there a church nearby?” “Is this a nice neighborhood?” If an agent were t...
047 - Autoimmune Disorders Suck
May 18, 2017 04:22 - 40 minutes - 18.6 MBThis past week, Karen was down for the count with a stomach bug. As a result, Kevin pulled double duty with the kids so Karen could just be sick. For this reason, we had completed zero preparation for the show, but we are committed to (not just interested in) releasing something every week, so we hit record and went with it. Our conversation took a few twists and turns, but we ended up having what we thought was an important and meaningful discussion about an autoimmune disorder that our fa...
046 - Buyer Commandment 6 - Thou Shalt Respect Thy Agent's Time
May 10, 2017 05:01 - 41 minutes - 19.1 MBGet ready for a wild one! Karen blows off some steam in this episode. After spending a lot of time and effort with a client, she was dismissed by the client with no explanation. Obviously it's the client's decision as to who represents them, but it's basic common courtesy to explain your thinking to someone who has invested a lot of time and money into helping you find the perfect home for you, and who now will not be paid for it. Real estate agents are people with families too! Consid...
045 - Bullying, Weight Loss, and Other Life Updates
May 03, 2017 05:09 - 50 minutes - 23.3 MBWhile this podcast is primarily focused on real estate, we do take time to tell stories about our lives from time to time. In this episode, we share the struggles we have had this year with our kindergartener dealing with a bully at school. We thought it would be helpful to share this story if for no other reason than to give other parents the benefit of our experiences, and some things to look for with your own kids. We also chatted a bit about Karen's new fitness regimen, which she's h...
044 - Estate Investing with a Shot of Crowd Funding
April 26, 2017 05:01 - 49 minutes - 22.9 MBMost people are familiar with the idea of crowd funding. Sites like Gofundme.com and kickstarter.com have helped some really great ideas get off the ground and brought in to reality. This week, Nathan Roach, the CEO of MassVenture.com explains to us how the laws in Texas have recently been changed to enable a crowd funding spin to be applied to real estate investing. Through the platform, individual investors can invest as little as $500 in the projects they have curated for their members.
043 - The Nature of Real Estate
April 19, 2017 05:01 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MBThis week we sit down with Don Leonard. Don has been in the real estate industry for 34 years, giving him a wealth of knowledge and expertise in real estate. Don has hosted two radio shows in Houston about real estate, currently teaches at the Champion's School of Real Estate, and has had his own broker's license for 18 years. Don sits down with us this week to swap war stories and offer some advice on some specific questions Karen has about a deal she's currently working. Don also shar...
042 - Real Estate Wire Scam
April 12, 2017 05:00 - 34 minutes - 15.8 MBJust imagine it: You wire your money to the title company as instructed the day before you buy your dream home. You show up to closing, and they ask you, "Where's your down payment?" You think this must be some kind of silly joke, so you say, "You mean the massive wire I sent you yesterday wasn't enough?" "Wire? I checked a few minutes ago, and we didn't receive a wire from you, but I'll go double check." The serious look on the escrow agent's face tells you this isn't a joke. "Yes,...
041 - Adventures in Customer Service
April 05, 2017 05:00 - 44 minutes - 20.5 MBIf you want to know what Phil Dunphy, roller derby, and dental work have in common, listen to the show this week. Customer service seems to be a dying art in our increasingly digitally connected, yet personally disconnected world. Kevin and Karen talk about some recent customer service experiences they've had to illustrate why excellent customer service is one of the single most important ingredients to a successful real estate transaction.
040 - How To Repair Your Credit The Right Way
March 29, 2017 05:00 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBCredit repair. It's a frequent question that many real estate agents hear from their clients: "I'd like to buy a house, but I have some problems with my credit. It really is an honest mistake but I don't know how to go about getting it cleaned up." Having bad credit can prevent you from qualifying for a loan. If it doesn't flat out prevent you from getting a loan, it will cost you many thousands of dollars in additional interest payments whether you're buying a home to live in or as an i...
039 - Winning Words
March 22, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 37.3 MBTinja Anderson Shiery has spent her entire professional life until recently as a consultant teaching professionals how to craft their messages for success. One of the many classes she teaches is entitled "Winnings Words", and Kevin was a student of hers in his role in the Oil & Gas industry, and the class changed the trajectory of his career. Listen in as Tinja compresses this 3 day class into a one hour crash course for Karen. If you take nothing else away from this episode, wrap your m...
037 - Texas Tax Sales with Arnie Abramson
March 08, 2017 06:00 - 58 minutes - 27.1 MBHave you ever wondered what would happen to your property if you didn't pay your taxes? Most people envision the police eventually knocking at the door and throwing you out. The reality in Texas at least is that the knock will eventually come, but it will be an investor knocking, an investor like today's guest, Arnie Abramson. Arnie has been investing in Texas tax auctions since the early 1990s. With a very long track record of success, he leads the Texas Tax Sales Resource Group, which...
036 - Agent Commandment 10 - Thou Shalt Write Effective Copy
March 01, 2017 06:11 - 51 minutes - 23.6 MBEffective writing is important. This is why this, the 10th and final Agent Commandment, is about writing. We have seen far too many examples of horrific writing on the part of real estate agents. You don't need to read very many MLS listing descriptions before they'll start popping out at you. Poor spelling, bad grammar, lack of punctuation. They all jump right off the page and detract from the professional message you're trying to communicate on behalf of your client. For this reaso...
035 - Top 10 Inspection Problems
February 22, 2017 18:06 - 1 hour - 28.5 MBThe topic of inspectors has come up in past episodes, so we thought we'd delve a little deeper into the topic with this episode by sharing the top 10 issues that come up during inspections. After hearing this episode, you will understand the great benefit an inspector brings to the table.
034 - The Total Cost of Borrowing
February 15, 2017 06:00 - 49 minutes - 22.8 MBDecrepit cars, interest rates, closing disclosures, and mortgages, how do they all relate? In this episode, we welcome Patrick Morales back to the podcast for a wide ranging discussion about mortgages. When preparing to buy a new home so many consumers don't realize they might have to choose between the new car or the new home. Learn about how mortgages work, hidden fees, and what's happening in the market. Find out what pro-rations are, general closing costs and fees and get into the ...
033 - Agent Commandment 9 - Thou Shalt Be Committed To Thy Profession
February 01, 2017 06:00 - 33 minutes - 15.6 MBListen in as we discuss the difference between being interested and being committed. It's a huge distinction! Our stand is that agents should be committed to their chosen profession of being a real estate agent! You want to know what that cryptic message means? You have to listen to the podcast to find out. Perhaps the Spartan King Leonidas will clarify what it means to be committed to your profession. Maybe NFL Coach Herm Edwards can point out how being interested versus being committ...
032 - Solo 401k Plans
January 25, 2017 06:01 - 56 minutes - 26.3 MBLately, we have been getting a lot of requests to do some episodes aimed at real estate investors. While we are technically real estate investors by virtue of the fact that are landlords, we don't feel like we've had enough experience to speak authoritatively on the subject, so we decided to do some research and find guests for the show who know far more about real estate investment than we do. In this episode, we welcome David Cole to the show who shares with us an amazing tool that isn...
031 - Agent Commandment 8 - Thou shalt be different
January 18, 2017 06:00 - 39 minutes - 18 MBIn today's episode we interview Mike Michalowicz, author of 4 different business books. We had no intention of turning our conversation into a Commandment, but Mike shared so many great insights that we had to do it. Mike is the author of Surge, Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan and the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. He is also a popular keynote speaker and successful podcaster. Mike built and sold two multi-million dollar companies by his 35th birthday. Confident that he'd discovered the...
030 - New Build Home Horror!
January 11, 2017 06:00 - 1 hour - 27.8 MBCome spend some time with us while we heckle a close friend and new build buyer, Scott Sniderwin. Scott recently purchased a new build home here in the Houston area. Although Scott is now a regular listener to the show, we hadn't started the podcast at the time he was buying, so he wasn't plugged in to the commandments, and his real estate story turned into a horror story. Luckily for Scott, he is persistent, and as he put it “a real pain”, so he kept fighting to get things done properly ...
029 - How Rising Interest Rates Will Impact The Market
January 04, 2017 06:00 - 51 minutes - 23.4 MBRecently, we received a listener mail that had a great question: "How will rising interest rates impact the real estate market?" Since we aren't financial experts, we decided to call in reinforcements in the form of Patrick Morales. Before becoming a Loan Originator, Patrick was a Financial Planner, so we thought he would be a great person to answer this question. During the discussion, Patrick shares with us what you as a buyer can do to prepare for higher interest rates to take the be...
028 - Agent Commandment 7 - Thou Shalt Give Back To Thy Community
December 21, 2016 07:03 - 1 hour - 33.3 MBThis is a special episode! We recorded it in front of a live audience at the University of Houston with special guest host, Hank Moore. Hank has been shaping our culture for a generation, and is a living legend in many spheres, including the Non-Profit sphere. Listen to this episode as we discuss how important it is for agents to be committed to giving back to the communities they serve. Real estate agents, more than any other profession, are intimately linked to the communities in whic...
027 - Outdoor Living Spaces
December 14, 2016 06:00 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MBOutdoor living spaces are a huge attraction, especially in areas like Houston where the weather makes them useful nearly year round. In this episode, we interview Deedra Chavez from Bello Domani Outdoor Designs. Deedra has been in the industry for many years and has a great eye for design. She designed the outdoor living space in Karen and Kevin's backyard and we have been referring business to her ever since. Deedra shares with us some of the most popular features and upgrades availab...
026: Agent Commandment 6 - Thou Shalt Not Join A Team That Requires You To Give Away Your Sellers
December 07, 2016 06:30 - 34 minutes - 16 MBIf you're a new agent, you will likely be approached fairly quickly by an experienced agent who wants you to join his/her team. They pitch it to you as a great deal for you because they have a steady flow of leads from all of their existing marketing efforts, and for a cut of the commission, you can almost immediately start making some money and learning the ropes. All of that sounds great, and it would be great if that were the whole story, but sadly it's not. Frequently, your responsib...
025: Buyer Commandment 5 - Thou Shalt Not Rent From Craigslist
November 30, 2016 06:30 - 45 minutes - 21 MBPut yourself in the place of a couple who find a great rental on Craigslist.com. The house was beautiful, it was in a great neighborhood, and it was being listed below market! They were happy with the pictures they saw in the ad, so they called the number. The landlord said there had been a lot of interest in the property, so if they really wanted it, they'd have to make a decision quickly and send in their application and application fee quickly, so they did. A few days later, they got...
024 - Stuff the Sleigh
November 23, 2016 06:00 - 1 hour - 30.2 MBIn this episode, we welcome Nicole Normandin to the show to talk about Stuff The Sleigh, the charity we are benefitting at the upcoming live event on December 14. In the interview, we learn about her, and her personal connection to the mission of Stuff The Sleigh, which benefits pediatric cancer and hematology patients. Nicole gives us a behind the curtains look at how Stuff The Sleigh delivers its services and what it takes to manage and grow a Non-Profit organization. Finally, she s...
023: Seller's Commandment 3 - Thou Shalt Understand the Anatomy of Thy Offer
November 16, 2016 06:00 - 58 minutes - 26.6 MBNot all offers are the same. There are many ways a crafty buyer can hide costs in their offer that reduce the overall value of deal for you as a seller. This is one of the many reasons why you need a competent, detail oriented agent looking out for your best interests in your transaction. In this episode, we delve in to some of the nooks and crannies that make up the offer and walk you through your options when you're selling your home. For example, did you know that your buyer's source...
022 - Agent Commandment 5: Thou Shalt Not Be A Jerk To Other Agents
November 09, 2016 06:00 - 47 minutes - 21.6 MBIt's been a frequently repeated position on the podcast that the barriers to entry into the real estate business are far too low, and that results in a lot of unqualified people getting their licenses. These agents frequently get frustrated with how difficult it is to be consistently successful as agents. They frequently take these frustrations out on their fellow agents by making transactions harder than they need to be. In this episode, we tell a number of stories of agents who refused...
021 - Buyer Commandment 4: Thou Shalt Remember Thou Art NOT On HGTV
November 02, 2016 05:00 - 45 minutes - 21 MBAs real estate dorks, we enjoy watching HGTV (well, 2 out of 3 of us do). There are some great pieces of information you can get out of watching the many great shows on the channel. For example, you can get a very good idea of what styles and finishes you like in homes, and you can get a great idea of what kind of layouts appeal to you. However, while watching any television show, it's important for you to remember that pretty much everything you see is scripted, and only about half of ...
020: Adam Ruins Housing Rebuttal
October 26, 2016 05:00 - 1 hour - 30.3 MBKaren and I have our shows that we watch together to unwind. One of our favorite shows is "Adam Ruins Everything". The show, hosted by Adam Conover is a mainstay on our DVR because it shows the hidden side of many things that we just take for granted in our culture. A recent episode entitled "Adam Ruins Housing" piqued our interest because, obviously, we're in the business. Before we watched the episode, we saw a preview of it on Facebook, and had a conversation with some friends about ...
019: Buyer Commandment 3 - Thou Shalt Obtain A Pre Qualification Before Shopping For A Home
October 19, 2016 05:00 - 45 minutes - 21 MBJen and Mike finally made the decision to stop being renters and become homeowners. They were excited! They both knew they had great credit since they checked their credit rating with a free credit reporting service, so they called an agent and started shopping. They saw some great houses, and some not so great houses. In all, they went to 30 different properties before they found THE ONE. It was perfect. Great curb appeal, great school district, close to work, and had more than enoug...
018: Seller Commandment 2 - Thou Shalt Heed Thy Agent's Advice On Pricing Thy Home
October 12, 2016 05:00 - 50 minutes - 23.2 MBRecently, Karen was representing a set of buyers who found a house that they really liked. It was in the neighborhood they wanted, it was exactly the right size for their family, and it (almost) fit their budget. Truth be told, according to the data on other similar homes that had recently sold in the neighborhood, it was overpriced by about $20,000.
017: Getting to Know Kevin (Part 2)
October 07, 2016 05:00 - 1 hour - 28.8 MBIn this episode we wrap up the Kevin interview. You'll learn of the triumphs and failures that shape who he is today. You'll also learn who he thinks would win in a fight between Spider-Man and Batman, and what his life would be if Star Wars had never been made.