Real Estate UnRaked

Send us Fan Mail YOUR HOME ISN'T WORTH WHAT YOU THINK! BUILDERS ARE CRUSHING SELLERS! 🏡 What happens when a brand-new home costs LESS than your resale home AND comes with a lower mortgage rate, closing-cost assistance, and builder incentives? The answer might make some homeowners very uncomfortable. In Episode 59 of Real Estate UnRaked , hosts Eric Rakers and Dane Coussens of The Rakers Home...

Send us Fan Mail Could Florida Amendment 3 lower your property taxes—and who could actually benefit? Eric Rakers and Dane Coussens break down the proposed changes, the biggest misconceptions, and the questions Florida homeowners, buyers, and investors should be asking. In Episode 58 of Real Estate UnRaked, we tackle the debate over Florida property tax relief, homestead exemptions, and what these...

Send us Fan Mail The 2026 housing market is officially in a standoff. Mortgage rates are hovering around 7% . Buyers are saying, “I’m waiting.” Sellers are saying, “I’m not giving my house away.” And home builders are stepping into the middle with mortgage rate buydowns, closing-cost assistance, price reductions, upgrades, quick move-in deals and other incentives designed to get buyers off the fen...

Send us Fan Mail 10 Terrible Ways People Choose a Realtor — And Then Wonder What Went Wrong | Real Estate UnRaked #56 How do you actually choose the right Realtor when buying or selling a home? In Episode #56 of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers of the Rakers Home Group breaks down 10 of the worst — and surprisingly common — ways buyers and sellers choose a real estate agent. Your cousin just got...

Send us Fan Mail I'm a Realtor, and I'm about to call out my own industry. There are things happening in real estate that absolutely need to STOP. From agents telling sellers whatever they want to hear to get a listing, to pressuring buyers into homes that aren't right for them, some practices in this business are hurting the very people Realtors are supposed to represent. And today...

Send us Fan Mail What if some of the biggest “rules” you've been told about buying or selling a home are completely wrong? In Episode #54 of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers and Dane Coussens take on 8 of the biggest real estate myths that refuse to die —and explain why believing the wrong advice could cost home buyers and sellers money, negotiating power, or the opportunity to make the righ...

Send us Fan Mail Are you waiting for mortgage rates to drop before buying a home? You may be focusing on the wrong number. In Episode 53 of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers and Dane Coussens break down 7 practical ways homebuyers can potentially lower their monthly house payment without waiting for mortgage rates to fall. Mortgage rates matter—but they aren't the only factor determining whet...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 52 Description — Real Estate UnRaked Is the housing market crashing in 2026—or are the national headlines completely missing what’s happening in Northeast Florida? The U.S. housing market is changing, but real estate is hyperlocal. What’s happening nationally isn’t necessarily what’s happening in Jacksonville, Clay County, Duval County, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs,...

Send us Fan Mail Thinking about selling your house in 2026 ? Before you spend $10,000, $20,000—or even $50,000—renovating your home, STOP. Some home improvements can help your house sell faster and for more money. Others could be a complete waste of your money. In Episode 51 of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers and Dane Coussens break down 5 home upgrades that can actually help your house sell—and...

Send us Fan Mail Should you buy a home now or wait for mortgage rates to come down? It’s one of the biggest questions facing homebuyers in today’s real estate market—and in Episode #50 of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers and Dane Coussens break down what Northeast Florida buyers need to know before sitting on the sidelines. With mortgage rates, home prices, housing inventory, inflation, and econo...

Send us Fan Mail Are you considering buying a new-construction home in Northeast Florida? Before you walk into a model home, register online, or schedule a builder tour, there is something every homebuyer needs to understand: the onsite builder sales representative works for the builder—not for you. In Episode 49 of Real Estate UnRaked, Northeast Florida Realtors Eric Rakers and Dane Coussens reve...

Send us Fan Mail Artificial intelligence is changing how people search for homes, compare mortgage options, research communities, and prepare to buy real estate. But can AI actually replace a Realtor—and will relying on technology save homebuyers thousands or cost them even more? In Episode 48 of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers and Dane Coussens tackle one of the biggest debates in real estate t...

Send us Fan Mail What do real estate agents actually say after leaving a listing appointment—and what really happens behind the scenes after a buyer submits an offer? In Episode 47 of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers, Dane Coussens, and Jaycee Crawford pull back the curtain on the private conversations buyers and sellers rarely hear during a real estate transaction. From pricing and preparing a h...

Send us Fan Mail Real Estate UnRaked – Episode #46 Your House Didn't Sell… Now What? | The Truth Most Realtors Won't Tell You What happens when your home doesn't sell? For many homeowners, it's frustrating, confusing, and sometimes even embarrassing. After weeks of cleaning, preparing, leaving the house for showings, and anxiously waiting for your phone to ring, you end up aski...

Send us Fan Mail Real Estate UnRaked Podcast | Episode #45 Would you actually buy your own house today? It's one of the most uncomfortable questions homeowners can ask themselves... and in this episode, we're answering it honestly. With home prices climbing, mortgage rates remaining elevated, and affordability becoming one of the biggest challenges in today's housing market, million...

Send us Fan Mail Do Realtors really deserve their commission... or do they just unlock doors and fill out paperwork? In Episode #44 of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers, Dane Coussens, Bridget Hodges, and Jaycee Crawford tackle one of the biggest debates in real estate—and they're not holding anything back. If you've ever wondered what Realtors actually do behind the scenes, why some age...

Send us Fan Mail 🏡 Where should you buy in Northeast Florida before everyone else catches on? In Episode #43 of Real Estate UnRaked, Eric Rakers, Dane Coussens, Bridget Hodges, and Jaycee Crawford break down the Jacksonville neighborhoods, growth corridors, and emerging communities that could experience significant appreciation over the next decade. Forget trying to figure out where you should ha...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Real Estate UnRaked Episode #42 Moving to Florida? Here's What Nobody Tells You Before You Make the Move Thinking about relocating to Florida? Before you pack the moving truck and trade snow boots for flip-flops, there's a lot more you need to know than what you see on social media. In Episode 42 of Real Estate UnRaked , host Eric Rakers is joined by Dane Coussens, Br...

Send us Fan Mail Will a New Fed Chair Crash Rates… or Crash Expectations? Everyone is talking about interest rates, but almost nobody is talking about the person who may have the biggest influence on where they're headed next: the next Federal Reserve Chair. In Episode 41 of Real Estate UnRaked, Eric Rakers, Dane Coussens, Bridget Hodges, and Jaycee Crawford break down what a potential change...

Send us Fan Mail The housing market just entered a completely different phase… and most people still don’t understand what’s happening. In Episode #40 of Real Estate UnRaked , the crew breaks down how rising global tensions, inflation fears, oil prices, mortgage rates, and economic uncertainty are directly impacting the real estate market here in Florida and across the country.  Everyone keeps ask...

Send us Fan Mail Is the housing market finally becoming a buyer’s market… or are sellers still in control? In Episode 39 of The Rakers Home Group Real Estate UnRaked, Eric, Dane, Bridget, and Jaycee break down the confusing reality of today’s 2026 real estate market — where buyers feel stuck, sellers feel frustrated, and nobody seems willing to make the first move.  In this episode, the team dives...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ REAL ESTATE UNRAKED | Episode #38 “Your House Isn’t Ugly… You’re Just Overpriced (And Builders Are Eating Your Lunch)” The Northeast Florida real estate market has officially shifted… and a lot of sellers still haven’t realized it. In this brutally honest episode of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers, Dane Coussens, Bridget Hodges, and Jaycee Crawford break down why so many home...

Send us Fan Mail Buying a home in 2026 is NOTHING like what most buyers expected… and the truth is, most people are completely unprepared for what happens AFTER closing day. In Episode #37 of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers, Dane Coussens, Bridget Hodges, and Jaycee dive into the real side of homeownership that nobody talks about — from surprise expenses and emotional stress to why buyers are st...

Send us Fan Mail Is now really a bad time to buy a home… or are buyers missing one of the biggest opportunities in years? In this episode of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers, Dane Coussens, Bridget Hodges, and Jaycee break down what’s actually happening in the 2026 housing market—and why so many buyers are getting it completely wrong. While headlines continue to push fear about interest rates, af...

Send us Fan Mail Buying a home in today’s real estate market is NOT what most people think—and bad information is costing buyers thousands. In this episode of Real Estate UnRaked , Eric Rakers, Dane Coussens, Bridget, and Jaycee break down the real cost of buying a home in 2026 , exposing the biggest myths that keep buyers stuck on the sidelines and the costly mistakes that can wreck a deal before...