In Episode 11 of Intelligent Equity Podcast, host Ryan Kiefer talks with Terry Hankner, President of Comey & Shepherd Realtors. They tackle issues surrounding home ownership and then discuss the challenges buyers and sellers are facing in the current market environment. 

Episode Highlights: 

• Terry Hankner has been licensed since 1978. She started her career in education.
• Most of real estate is really about teaching. It’s sharing information and letting people know all of their options.
• Should everyone own a home?
• Hankner thinks that not everyone should own a home but there are great reasons to become a homeowner.
• Reasons to become a homeowner include personal satisfaction, control of your own environment, the fact that real estate is a good investment, and tax advantages.
• Inventory awareness is currently a problem for sellers. Sellers need to be locally aware.
• The best way to understand your local market is to talk to a good realtor who can provide you with statistical data and tell you the truth about your property.
• Put your house in really good condition as a seller. Consider a pre-listing inspection.
• Tell your sellers to dust off their water heaters.
• Mortgage Minute: If you happen to be a move-up buyer, you’re in a perfect position because of the increased purchasing power that comes with interest rates near historic lows. 
• If you’ve been thinking about moving up, now’s the time.
• The challenge for buyers in the current market is also inventory related. There are not as many homes on the market as there usually are.
• If you’re a buyer, get pre-qualified financially and have a heart-to-heart discussion about needs and wants.
• Buyers need to be ready to do something when a house that meets their criteria comes up. 
• The only really slow time for the industry can be between Thanksgiving and the new year. Spring begins on January 2nd. 
• The cyclical nature of real estate is much more tied to favorable interest rates and market conditions than it is to the weather.

3 Key Points:

1.   Sellers should increase their awareness of local inventory. 
2.   Buyers can prepare themselves so they’re ready to take action when a house that meets their criteria goes on the market.
3. The cyclical nature of real estate is tied more to market conditions than to the time of year. 

Resources Mentioned:

• Ryan Kiefer: LinkedIn, Facebook, Website
• Terry Hankner Facebook, LinkedIn 
• Comey & Shepherd Realtors