The Brian Lessinger Real Estate Podcast

The Benefits of Our Client Appreciation Program

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 17:40:00 +0000

We’ve had great success with our client appreciation program. If you aren’t a part of it already, here are a few of the benefits you’ll see from joining.

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Most of you who are reading this are already a part of our client appreciation program. However, for those of you who aren’t, we wanted to explain what this program is and the benefits you’ll see from joining if you haven’t yet.

First, we send a piece of mail each month about a real estate-related topic, which also includes information about houses we’ve listed or an event we have coming up. Then, we send out a video email in the middle of the month that is related to that same general topic.

In addition, we also send out blog articles like this one that cover questions that we get from people most frequently. If you have friends, family members, or co-workers who you think might be interested in receiving some of this information we are providing, we’d be happy to add them to our client appreciation program.

Another huge benefit of joining our program is that you can reach out to us for almost anything. We work in property management as well, so we know roofers, plumbers, electricians, and any other kind of service provider you might need in your home. We can also give recommendations for things that don’t even have to do with real estate. We know the best restaurants, dentists, babysitters, and more in Reno. I’ve lived here for 29 years now and know the area very well.

This program benefits us because it allows us to stay in touch with you regularly and help you with any problems you have in your home.

If you or someone you know might be interested in joining our client appreciation program, all we need is a phone number, an email address, and a home address. We will take it from there.

If you have any real estate-related questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What Could You Stand to Gain by Owning Real Estate? Pt. 6

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 16:29:00 +0000

In today’s final installment on the benefits of owning real estate,
I’ll discuss the tax benefits associated with homeownership

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Today’s discussion is the final installment in our six-part series about the advantages of owning real estate. If you’d like to brush up on our previous videos, visit our blog to watch parts one through five.

On top of all the other benefits discussed, owning real estate affords you a range of tax-related benefits. Many people are concerned with how the new laws regarding tax benefits on the interest paid on one’s house will affect their investments, but those legal changes shouldn’t affect you in Reno.

The interest you pay is deductible on your taxes—for more thorough detail on how that works, consult your CPA. You'll receive a statement from your lender, after which, all you have to do is use that statement to write off your interest on your tax return.

Further still, everyone needs to live somewhere. As long as you’re making monthly payments to live somewhere, why not pay your own mortgage down, rather than a landlord’s?

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On top of all the other benefits discussed, owning real estate affords you a range of tax-related benefits.

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Ideally, you’ll live in a house for at least five to seven years, during which time you can pay a good portion of your loan down—or more, if you pay extra each month. If you look at your 30-year amortization schedule, you’ll be amazed at how much money you save in interest payments by making an extra payment every year during the life of your loan. Also during that time, your home will appreciate in value, leaving you with a big chunk of money.

There are more benefits to being a homeowner, and if you’d like more specifics or have any questions, reach out to us. We’d be happy to sit down and talk about how you can benefit from owning real estate. We hope to speak with you soon.

What Kind of Advantages Does Investment Real Estate Bring Property Owners?

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 19:49:00 +0000

Most of the time, my clients are looking for appreciation, cash flow, or both.

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Today we’re back with No. 5 in our six-part series discussing the advantages of owning real estate. This time, we’re discussing the advantages of owning rental properties.

When people purchase rental properties, there are two things that they’re usually trying to accomplish:

1. Appreciation. This involves buying a property that’s either in need of work or in an up-and-coming area where we think prices are going to appreciate.

2. Monthly cash flow. A lot of this depends on the age and overall goals of the investor.

We can even manage the property for you.

I’m always playing this game with my clients of appreciation versus cash flow. If you’re lucky, you can get both, but most of the time you’re looking for one or the other.

I have plenty of clients who we help that end up managing their own properties. However, if you don’t want to do that, my team can certainly help with property management and still get you that appreciation or cash flow that you’re looking for.

If you have any questions about your specific situation and how owning rental property might help you, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

The Advantages of Owning Real Estate Part 4: Renting vs. Buying

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 17:25:00 +0000

Is it better to rent a property or own one? We will discuss this today in the fourth installment into our six-part series on the advantages of owning real estate.

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Today marks the fourth installment of our series on the advantages of owning real estate, and, this time, we will be going even deeper into the subject. Specifically, I would like to share some advice about when purchasing a home is the superior option to renting.

If you plan on living in a property for at least five to seven years, I highly recommend ownership over the rental lifestyle. Renting can be a good, non-permanent living situation, but it is far better to have a home of your own if you are staying put for some time.

As you may remember from previous installments in this series, buying a house is the best way to control your living situation and leverage your money into building up a long-term asset. If you pay down the mortgage on your house and achieve a lower debt ratio, the property’s value will steadily increase.

Renting can be a good, non-permanent living situation, but it is far better to have a home of your own if you are staying put for some time.

There will be some maintenance-related expenses, but homeownership is, overall, a worthwhile investment.

So, if you have been renting for some time and are ready to make the transition into owning real estate and want to know more about the home buying process, feel free to reach out.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

The Advantages of Owning Real Estate: Part 3

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 15:13:00 +0000

Today I am continuing my series about the advantages of owning real estate by discussing the third advantage: appreciation.

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Today I continue my series on the advantages of owning real estate. The benefit we'll be discussing today is appreciation.

Let’s say that you go out and buy a $300,000 house today. You do not actually need $300,000 if you use a lender and get a mortgage loan for this purchase. Based on your credit score and what your lender allows, you may be able to put down anywhere from 5% to 20% on that $300,000 home.

The best part about this is if your home appreciates 10% to 20%, you will get the appreciation from that entire $300,000 sum. If you wanted to invest $300,000 in the stock market, you would need that money in your pocket to invest it. When buying a home, you can leverage a smaller amount of money and still earn the appreciation from that entire $300,000.

Based on your credit score and what your lender allows, you may be able to put down anywhere from 5% to 20% on a $300,000 home.

There can be huge benefits when you own actual, tangible property. The biggest benefit is you can buy even more property and you do not have to have all the money in your pocket to do so.

Leveraging your money long term can definitely work for you. After 30 years of owning the property, you’ll have a good investment that brings in money just like investing in the stock market would.

If you have any additional questions or you are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

The Advantages of Owning Property: Part 2

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 16:25:00 +0000

How can making improvements to your property benefit your overall personal wealth? Today let’s discuss this question in the second installment of our six-part series on the advantages of property ownership.

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Today marks the second installment of our six-part series on the advantages of owning real estate. Let’s dive right in.

This time I’d like to discuss how improving your property can serve as an investment in your own personal wealth.

Painting, upgrading landscape, or replacing systems and appliances are all ways to make your property more valuable. And these are just a few of the many projects you could take on.

Improving your property can serve as an investment in your own personal wealth.

Unlike investing in the stock market, the benefits and results of investing in improvements to your property are much easier to understand. As someone who does invest in stocks and who has a degree in finance, I can say that even I find real estate to be more comprehensible.

Purchasing property also protects you in the long-term, as any property you obtain now would surely be more expensive in the future.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Control Your Finances by Investing in Real Estate

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 18:35:00 +0000

Today I will be discussing the first of six advantages to owning real estate.

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Today’s video begins my six-part series about the advantages that come with owning real estate.

The first advantage I thought of was the fact that it is easier to understand and control your real estate investment—be it your primary residence or a rental property—than, say, an investment in the stock market or retirement account.

If you own your property, you have control over your monthly payment, location, and more.

I always tell people this: You have to live somewhere. If you own your property, you have control over your monthly payment, location, and more. If you are renting out a property you own, you can always hire a property manager. The downsides to renting are the complications that arise when you want to sell the property, not to mention that rents are rising dramatically, especially in the Reno-Sparks area.

Over the course of this series, I will explain other advantages of owning real estate. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to me. Otherwise, until next time!

How Does Our Client Appreciation Program Work?

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 21 May 2018 17:20:00 +0000

Our client appreciation program is just one of the ways we provide value as a company. Here is how it works.

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Today I am excited to talk about our client appreciation program and explain it in great detail. Here is how it works.

We have a database of contacts that is full of clients, friends, family, and all the people we have helped over the years. Once a month, typically the first Thursday of the month, we mail everyone in our database an item of value. In addition, there is a video and email that goes along with that item. It is not always strictly real-estate related, but it is always something we find that is of informational use to you. We do this so we can keep you up to speed on the market and keep you well-versed on what is happening.

In addition to this, there are some other events we have during the year for our client appreciation program. We have our annual client party, we do pie giveaways, photos with Santa, balloon races, and more.

You do not have to be someone who is currently in the market to buy or sell a home to be part of our client appreciation program. Some of our best clients are people who have never bought or sold a home. They just do a good job of referring people to us so that we can provide them the information that they need.

If you or someone you know wants to join, just send us your contact information.

We are not here to force you to buy or sell a home. We are just trying to get you the information you need so you can make the best real estate decisions for yourself. It doesn’t have to be real estate information either, we have people calling us looking for restaurants, babysitters, and more.

If you are not part of our client appreciation program, or if you think you know someone who might be interested, we just need a few things to get you started: your name, email address, physical address, and phone number. Once we receive this information, we can start providing all the information to keep you up to speed on what is going on out there.

If you have any other questions in the meantime, please feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

What’s Your Home Really Worth?

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 07 May 2018 19:11:00 +0000

There are several ways you can get an estimate of your home’s worth, but the best way is to give us a call.

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If you want to know what your home is worth, how can you find out? There are a few different methods.

The best way is to reach out to us so we can give you a full comparative market analysis. Depending on your needs, it’s typically best for me to take a look at your home in person and give it a walk-through. Two homes can look exactly the same from the outside, but one could be worth $50,000 more for a variety of reasons. Obviously, our valuation process is a little different if we’re getting your home ready for sale.

Other ways you can get a valuation of your home include: getting an appraisal, getting a BPO (broker price opinion), or using Zillow.

Don’t rely on Zillow for an accurate valuation of your home.

To me, using one of Zillow’s Zestimates is a terrible way to estimate your home’s value. Zillow doesn’t actually look inside or around your home to calculate its value, and its features, upgrades, landscaping, etc., can all play a role in its value.

So again, if you want the most accurate valuation of your home you can possibly get, give us a call and we’d be happy to give you the information you need.

As always, if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you.

What’s the Latest News From Our 1st Quarter Market?

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 21:11:00 +0000

Inventory is low and prices have been increasing in our market, so if you’re thinking about buying, you should do so sooner rather than later.

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What’s the latest news from our first quarter market? Everyone’s been hearing that it’s seller’s market, there’s not a lot of inventory, and it’s hard for buyers to find a home, but how much of that is true?

Speaking for myself, I’ve had success helping both sellers and buyers lately. If you’re a buyer, the trick is you have to be willing to be more open than you might’ve been before. There are still a lot of good, affordable homes available out there, especially if you’re buying for the long haul.

With that being said, inventory has been and will continue to be on the low side in both the lower price points and the higher, more luxury-oriented price points. With so many people moving here from California because of all the job opportunities, prices have been increasing. The market correction this time, though, is completely different from the market correction of 10 to 12 years ago. There are a lot of cash buyers and buyers with big down payments who don’t have to concern themselves too much with appraisals.

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If you’re a buyer, you should consider doing so sooner rather than later.

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In general, I don’t see prices decreasing anytime in the near future. They might flatten a little bit, though. As I mentioned in my last video, interest rates are climbing a bit, so that will put a little downward pressure on pricing.

If you’re considering buying a home, this means you might want to do so sooner rather than later. Even if prices flatten, your monthly mortgage payment will increase if interest rates rise.

If you have any more questions about our market or your specific area or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home soon, feel free to reply to this email or give me a call. I’d love to help you.

The Importance of Maintaining a High Credit Score

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 19:32:00 +0000

Why is it so important to boost your credit score? Sign up for my monthly mailer to get more information.

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For those of you who receive the item of value that I send out each month, I’ve recently sent out a letter detailing the importance of having a good credit score, indluding tips you can use to boost yours if it isn’t where it needs to be.

By now, most everyone has heard about how the Fed has increased interest rates. That means when you’re getting a loan for a home mortgage or if you have a credit card, costs and payments could become more expensive.

This is why it’s so important to have a good credit score, because there are some perks to simply having a higher score. For example, you can get better home loans and a lower interest rate on a car loan or student loans. The benefits remain even if you’re not planning to apply for a loan. Additionally, a good credit score can also make it easier to get hired for certain jobs.

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A good credit score can also make it easier to get hired for certain jobs.

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If you haven’t received my mailer yet and would like to be added to my list, we’ll need your home address, email address, and the best telephone numbers to reach out at. If we have that information, we can also send this information to you electronically.

If you have specific questions or if you’re looking for information, feel free to reach out to us. We would be happy to help you.

The Power of Positive Leadership

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 18:03:00 +0000

If you’re in any type of leadership position, it’s important to be positive. If you’re in a leadership position and you’re struggling with it, I have some great books that can help you.

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If you’re in a position of leadership, no matter what type of position that is, I believe it’s important that you be a positive person.

Anyone who spends time with me either at home or at work knows that I’m an upbeat, positive person most of the time. Why do I think this is so important? Let me give you an example.

If you’re in a position of leadership, it’s important to be a positive person.

My son just finished his third year of playing college basketball, but he decided to give up his scholarship and his basketball career because the environment around that career was very negative and the leadership aspect at the head it of wasn’t fantastic.

If you’re in any type of leadership position and you’re struggling with how to handle it, I recommend you read “The Energy Bus” and “The Power of Positive Leadership” by Jon Gordon. These two books are great resources for the topic of leadership and I believe they can help you a lot.

If you’d like a copy of one of these books, give me a call and I’d be glad to send you one and talk to you about leadership. If you have any other questions about this topic or you have any real estate needs I can assist you with, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

Let Us Be a Resource for You

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 21:22:00 +0000

Whatever your needs are, our team is here to help. That goes for more than just real estate, as well.

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There are many ways you can use my team and I as a resource. It seems like recently, we’ve been helping a lot more people make their move here from another state.

I wanted to let all of you know that you can call us for things other than real estate.

Over the years, people have called us for a number of things, even where to find a babysitter, where to find a dentist, and where to go for a great meal out.

We want to be a resource for you in terms of your real estate needs and also in your daily life.

Whatever you need to know about our Northern Nevada area, reach out and we would be happy to help. One more thing I want to make you all aware of is that we’ll be giving away some things this month.

Ultimately, the bottom line is this: We want to be a resource you in terms of your real estate needs but also in your daily life.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

An Invitation and an Update From the Lessinger Team

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 16:23:00 +0000

Today I’m bringing you a couple of updates from all of us here at the Lessinger Team.

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Today, I just wanted to bring you an update on some of the new things going on here with the Lessinger Team.

As many of you may already have seen, both Re/MAX and the Lessinger Team have updated their logos. We’re bringing a new look and some new people to our team this year.

For those of you in our database who get items of value in the mail each month, keep an eye out for your invitation to our annual client appreciation event. This year, it will be a baseball game again and we’re so excited to have a great time with all of you.

The game will be on Friday, May 4 at 6:35 p.m., so save the date now. We will give you more details in the future, but we hope you’ll come out for some food and fun. Food will be provided starting an hour before the game, so come out early if you’d like.

We’d love to see you, join us for the fun.

Our goal this year is to get at least 100 people out there, and we’d love to see you join us for the fun.

There will be more events coming up in the summer months so be on the lookout for those as well.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or don’t already receive our monthly mail-outs and would like to, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why Work With the Lessinger Team?

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 18:45:00 +0000

Do you plan on buying or selling a home in 2018? If so, the Lessinger Team is here to help you reach your real estate goals.

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If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in 2018, it’s important that you work with an experienced real estate team.

We work with a lot of people who were referred to a different Realtor or worked with an agent that was a friend or family member. Whatever the case may be, in today’s market, you need an agent or team that has experience.

In addition to helping people buy and sell real estate, our team also handles property management. Between everyone on our team, we have 70 years of combined experience in real estate.

Why is experience so important? There are a number of different steps and factors in any real estate transaction. We can help you price your home to sell, figure out how much to offer on a home, and guide you through negotiations and repairs. There are a number of details to keep track of, not to mention mountains of paperwork. Thanks to our experience, we know exactly what needs to be done.

We have 70 years of experience in real estate.

We also understand our local market conditions. We can help you through a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. Reno has had a lot of growth over the last five years, and we get a lot of questions from people who are concerned that prices are too high.

We can sit down with you and help you decide if now is a good time to buy or sell, or if you would be better doing so later on.

Our goal is to give you the information you need to make a good decision, whether you buy or sell in 2018 or down the road. We want to do what’s best for you.

If you have any questions or would like to sit down and talk with us about your real estate goals, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. If you know anyone who is thinking about buying or selling a home in 2018, we would love to meet them and give them the information they need to make the right decisions.

Just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

2017 Was a Great Year Thanks to You

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 20:33:00 +0000

The Lessinger Team had an amazing year and it’s all thanks to you.

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2017 was an amazing year for us here at the Lessinger Team. Today, my team and I want to thank you for that.

I was lucky enough to meet many of you in person this year at our various client appreciation events, which was truly a great experience.

Thank you so much for your support.

As the year draws to a close, I want to remind you all that I’m always here for you.

I can’t wait to continue bringing you updates and valuable information in the new year. And, again, thank you so much for your support. I hope you all have a happy holiday season.

If you have any real estate questions, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

2 Services We Provide: Property Management and Referrals

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 16:39:00 +0000

I want to discuss two topics today: property management and referrals.

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Today’s topic is actually about two separate things: property management and referrals. I wanted to educate you a little bit about some things we do in our property management business that you might not be aware of, as well as about how referrals work since our business is based on them.

Property Management:

For those of you who don’t know, The Lessinger Team does do property management. We manage mostly single-family homes, but for local owners and those who are more experienced in property management, we also do what’s called a tenant finder. This means we find you the tenant for the property and you manage the property on your own.

Referrals:

We let all of our clients know that any referrals needed don’t necessarily have to be related to the house; we can get you a referral to a dentist or even something like a babysitter. Feel free to give us a call if you need anything, especially if you’re new to the area.

We can refer you to dentists, babysitters, contractors, and more.

On the other side of the referral coin, our business is based on referrals. Most of our clients are referred to us. The best way for you to refer us would be to call or email us directly with the contact information of the person that might be looking to buy or sell a home. That way, we can reach out to them.

Whether it’s property management or buying or selling a home, we want to be here to help you get all the information you need. If you do have any questions or need information, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:01:00 +0000

We wanted to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there who has supported our business. We are very thankful for your patronage.

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Instead of talking about real estate, I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and for all the business and referrals you have sent our way.

For those of you who have called and requested a pie, today is pie day! We will see you this afternoon between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Come down to the office and get your pie!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

New vs. Existing Homes

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 20:15:00 +0000

When it comes to deciding whether to buy an existing home or building a new one, there are a lot of variables to think about. Here are my thoughts about choosing what to do.

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Today’s topic is two-fold: I’m asked all the time if it’s cheaper to buy or build a house, and also whether it’s better to buy a new or existing home. I’ll be discussing the answers to both of these questions.

“Is it cheaper to buy a house, or build it from scratch?”

A pro of building a house from scratch is that you are allowed to pick the details and features that you want, such as the floor plan and certain other amenities. I always think it’s a little more expensive to build a home, and I myself wouldn’t look forward to picking from the thousands of little details necessary when building a home.

With the events that happened recently in Florida, Texas, and California, I believe hiring people to do the work will be more expensive than normal, as will the cost of materials. So many people need to have their houses rebuilt due to hurricanes, floods, and wildfires.

“Is it better to buy a new home, or an existing home?”

New construction is a little like buying a new car. You’ll have to pay a premium because it’s a brand-new property, no one has lived in it, and projects like landscaping will need to be done after the fact. If you can find a similar home that’s maybe three to five years old in a similar neighborhood, you’ll find a lot of those things have already been taken care of.

It all depends on what your specific needs are and what you’re willing and able to pay for.

There are a lot of variables to consider when you’re thinking about buying versus building, and new versus existing homes. It all depends on what your specific needs are and what you’re willing and able to pay for.

If you’re trying to weigh the options for these scenarios, let me know. I know a bunch of people who have recently built homes from scratch. I’ve also got clients that are buying existing homes. We’ll always give you advice on which option is best for you.

Give us a call, send an email, or make an appointment and we can walk you through those different topics. Hope to talk to you soon!

Is Your Home Covered if Disaster Strikes?

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:55:00 +0000

If you’re not sure you have the right homeowners insurance, talk to your insurance agent immediately and get that corrected so if disaster strikes, you don’t make a bad situation worse.

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Today’s topic hits somewhat close to home for me. The topic I'm talking about is making sure you have the right homeowners insurance in case disaster strikes.

My sister-in-law lives in Santa Rosa in Northern California, and her entire neighborhood burned to the ground recently due to the wildfires. I also have a cousin who lives in Tampa who had to deal with effects and aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

Make sure your policies are paid, up to date, and in place.

Between the wildfires in California, the storms in Florida, and the flooding in Houston, I figured now is as good of a time as any to remind you to talk to your insurance agent about your homeowners insurance policy and make sure you have the protection you think you do—whether that’s for earthquakes, flooding, wildfires, etc. Many times, certain things aren’t covered that you think might be. Also, make sure you have enough insurance so that if your house is destroyed, you have enough money to rebuild it, repair it, or have a place to stay in the meantime.

I’ve watched so many horrendous things happen over the last few months, so make sure your policies are paid, up to date, and in place so that you have what you think you need.

If you don’t have the homeowners insurance you think you need, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be glad to help you.

2 Helpful Books to Jump-Start Your Financial Success

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 19:17:00 +0000

Today I want to go over a few things I think could be helpful to you and your business. These are the same resources I’ve utilized myself and I want to share them with you.

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Today’s topic is going to be a little different. I’d like to take some time to talk about coaching, mentoring, and also some books I think could be helpful to you.

Here at the Lessinger Team, we work closely with the Buffini Company. Through them, I have my own real estate coach. Most of the systems I use come from them.

These same systems and tools would likely be beneficial to you, whether your business is real estate or something else.

You can find information about these systems in Brian Buffini’s book, “The Emigrant Edge.” This book has been a valuable resource to me and my business, and I want to share it with you. I’ve got 20 free copies that I’m giving away. To secure your copy, give me a call or send me an email.

This book has been a valuable resource to me and my business, and I want to share it with you.

You can also find and buy this book, which is now a bestseller, on Amazon.

I also have another book recommendation for a different topic I often get questions about. If you need financial planning advice, you may want to take a look at “The Automatic Millionaire” by David Bach.

This book is a great wealth of information for those who don’t know much about finances right now. If you are a little more advanced in your knowledge, I’d be happy to recommend some other books to you as well.

Just like “The Emigrant Edge,” I also have copies of “The Automatic Millionaire” that I would be more than happy to give you.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Do You Plan on Selling Your Home This Fall or Winter?

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 16:07:00 +0000

If you want to sell your home this fall or winter, there are a few things you should do to prepare your property for the market.

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If you plan on listing your home anytime between October and March, there are a few things you should do to prepare for the market.

Depending on the weather, you may want to take photos of your home now. Your yard looks great when the grass is green and the trees and plants are in bloom. Right now, your landscape looks great, so take listing photos before the snow comes.

As we approach Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, a lot of homeowners will start decorating. If you plan on selling your house though, I recommend dialing it back a bit on the decorations. You want people to focus on the positive features of your house, not all the seasonal decor.

You want buyers to fall in love with your house, not your decorations.

Also, since the weather is colder, things like extra blankets and pillows start to come out of storage. It’s important to stay warm, but don’t let your house get too cluttered with extra blankets and such. You don’t want to have so much stuff around that the space is cluttered.

If you are lucky enough to have a gas or wood burning fireplace, make sure that it is in working order and looks great. A fireplace can be a nice selling point for your property.

If this winter is like last winter, now is the time to prepare your house for the market. After all, you don’t want to take your listing photos under a couple of feet of snow.

Hopefully, these tips will help you. If you have any questions about selling your particular house this fall or winter, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

How’s Our Market Look Now That Summer’s Ending?

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 16:11:00 +0000

Our market cooled off a bit during the summer, but now that that’s ending, things should get back to normal.

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If I haven’t spoken to you recently, I’m sure you’re hearing all sorts of things about our market. Here’s what’s really going on, though.

Over the summer—just like the last four or five years—the market cooled off a bit. Kids are only out of school for about eight weeks now, so a lot of people prefer to go on vacation during June, July, and August. This means houses that have been hitting the market have been taking a bit longer to sell.

Now that summer’s ending, we should see our market get going again.

To me, that’s not a market correction. That just means things have calmed down a little bit. Now that kids are back in school and people are back into their normal routines and looking for houses again, the market should get going again. We literally just listed two houses that both received offers within the first 48 hours of being on the market.

Home prices have elevated, but in general homes are still priced pretty well. Since rents have gone up so much, you can still buy a house for a lower payment than if you decided to rent.

If you want to know the value of your home or you’re thinking of buying or selling in our market soon, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you.

Are You Coming to the Great Reno Balloon Race?

brian@thelessingerteam.com (Brian Lessigner) — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 15:57:00 +0000

Here’s a quick reminder about some of our upcoming events. This year, we’ve got a lot of great things planned, including our annual Great Reno Balloon Race.

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Today I’ve got a quick reminder for you about some of the events we have coming up in the near future.

For one, we’ve got the Great Reno Balloon Race—which we have been holding the past few years on a Friday.

This year, however, we’ve moved the date by request to Saturday, September 9th.

But that’s not all. For every person who comes out for a free tether balloon ride, we’ll make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network.

This year, we’re trying out some different things—so be on the lookout for details.

I’ll be out at this event early, so be sure to come find my team and I so we can help you take advantage of this fun chance to give back.

While things may, of course, change due to weather, the tether balloon rides should start between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Remember to come early, since lines tend to form and there are waivers to sign.

On top of that, we will also be having some more events in October and November. This will include our pumpkin patch event, pie giveaway, Santa Claus photos, and more. This year, we’re trying out some different things—so be on the lookout for details.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

The Brian Lessinger Real Estate Podcast

The Benefits of Our Client Appreciation Program

What Could You Stand to Gain by Owning Real Estate? Pt. 6

What Kind of Advantages Does Investment Real Estate Bring Property Owners?

The Advantages of Owning Real Estate Part 4: Renting vs. Buying

The Advantages of Owning Real Estate: Part 3

The Advantages of Owning Property: Part 2

Control Your Finances by Investing in Real Estate

How Does Our Client Appreciation Program Work?

What’s Your Home Really Worth?

What’s the Latest News From Our 1st Quarter Market?

The Importance of Maintaining a High Credit Score

The Power of Positive Leadership

Let Us Be a Resource for You

An Invitation and an Update From the Lessinger Team

More of Your Real Estate Questions Answered

Why Work With the Lessinger Team?

2017 Was a Great Year Thanks to You

2 Services We Provide: Property Management and Referrals

Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving

New vs. Existing Homes

Is Your Home Covered if Disaster Strikes?

2 Helpful Books to Jump-Start Your Financial Success

Do You Plan on Selling Your Home This Fall or Winter?

How’s Our Market Look Now That Summer’s Ending?

Are You Coming to the Great Reno Balloon Race?