Know Before You Owe

In this episode of Know Before You Owe, I break down the entire 203K renovation loan process so you can stop relying on rumors, myths, and that one uncle who “knows a guy.” I go through the limited 203K, the standard 203K, the HUD consultant process, and how I build a real scope of work instead of the classic “we’ll figure it out later” approach that destroys budgets and hope. We cover contractor...

In this episode of Know Before You Owe, I sit down with Liz Kroft from Aviso Studios to talk about something shockingly misunderstood: building a real brand, not one of those “I made this on Canva in 4 minutes” masterpieces. Liz walks me through why consistency, cohesive visuals, story, and actual human personality matter more than whatever trendy color you saw on Pinterest last week. We get into...

In this episode, I'm joined by home inspection expert Paige Bohrer, who spends every day inside the real trenches of Bay Area real estate. We walk through what a real inspection looks like, how long it should take, what surprises homeowners most, and why rainy days expose a home’s truth better than any other season. Paige breaks down everything you should test—mold, water quality, lead, meth, roof...

In today’s episode of Know Before You Owe, I break down the shiny new distraction everyone’s talking about: 50-year mortgages. Yes, they lower your payment a little. No, they don’t help you build wealth. And yes, they quietly drain an extra $550,000 in interest if you keep them long term.   I compare a 30-year loan vs a 50-year loan using real numbers and explain how compounded interest turns a so...

In this Know Before You Owe episode, I sit down with Vinnie and Anthony, the sharp minds behind Vonk Digital and Goalee, to talk about how local real estate agents and lenders can finally stop losing to big lead portals.   We dig into how SEO, AI tools, and authentic content can make your business stand out online, even against companies with ad budgets bigger than your caffeine bill. If you’re ti...

Ever been spammed by 57 lenders the second you apply for one home loan? Yeah, thank trigger leads for that. This week, I talk with Brendan McKay, co-founder of the Broker Action Coalition (BAC) and mortgage expert with 20 years in the real estate lending industry. He shares how brokers are taking on big banks, reshaping mortgage laws, and giving home buyers more power, more options, and fewer head...

Reverse mortgages. Two words that make most people’s eyes twitch. But not today. In this episode of Know Before You Owe, I chat with Brad Brynes, one of the top experts at Finance of America, about how reverse mortgages can actually help seniors use their equity for freedom, retirement, and a better lifestyle. We cover everything from the silver tsunami hitting the housing market to loan limits, a...

You can track your pizza but not your house sale? That’s the problem, and James Dwiggins, CEO and co-founder of NextHome, is here to fix it.   On this episode of Know Before You Owe, I talk with James about Rays, the platform bringing real transparency to real estate. Think of it as a “pizza tracker” for your transactions, one that shows clients exactly what their agent is doing.   We cover: • How...

What do you get when you mix farmland, a family with 40 years of real estate experience, and a housing shortage the size of Kenosha County? Apparently, 705 new homes.   In this episode of Know Before You Owe, Jim Black chats with Sanjay Kuttemperoor, the man helping turn Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, into the Midwest’s hottest new zip code.   They talk about how his family went from “empty fields”...

In this episode of Know Before You Owe, Jim Black sits down with Matt Coles to demystify what it takes to go from mortgage broker to banker, and why warehouse lines and AI-backed decision-making are key to scaling in today’s environment. They also explore how to prepare now for the next market cycle in 2026, how smaller lenders are outpacing big institutions, and how to avoid the burnout of previo...

I sat down with AK Lalani from Rollout to talk about why your shiny tools don’t talk to each other, and how his universal API fixes it without you selling your soul (or budget) to engineers.   Think of this as therapy for anyone who’s ever asked, “Why can’t this app just work with that one already?” From real estate CRMs to mortgage platforms and even AI workflows, AK shares how Rollout makes your...

In this episode, I chat with Sanjay Kuttemperoor from Steadworth about how his platform helps buyers get into homes faster without being crushed by the traditional down payment. We talk through how shared equity works, the risks, the math, and why this is a big deal for first-time buyers and beyond.   If you’ve been stuck renting or thinking homeownership is out of reach, you’ll want to hear this...

On today's episode of Know Before You Know, we're joined by Bill Sperry, the most renowned voice in real estate. With years of experience working with hundreds of thousands of agents, Bill has witnessed the industry grow from the early days of the internet to AI-based business models.   We discuss why relationships will continue to trump leads, how to remain relevant in a cacophonous world, and wh...

In this quick and insightful episode of Know Before You Owe, Jim Black sits down with Grant Marple to talk about why title insurance fees are misunderstood, often overpriced, and completely within the buyer’s control. They unpack what’s actually covered by title insurance, why mechanics liens are more common than people think, and how you can use title transparency as a negotiation advantage, whet...

Are you ready to take control of your financial future and prepare for homeownership with confidence? In this episode of Know Before You Oh, Jim sits down with Brian View of Key Steps to break down how technology and trusted guidance can help first-time buyers and seasoned homeowners alike make smarter financial choices.   Brian explains how Key Steps, powered by FinLocker, goes beyond credit moni...