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WINTER 2017

REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY AWARD WINNERS

HOW THE AFFLUENT MANAGE

HOME EQUITY

SHOPPING AROUND? ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS WHEN SHOPPING FOR A MORTGAGE

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

BY MILLIONAIRE DATE DOCTOR

VALLEY OF THE SUN A NEW HOME MARKET LEADER

www.ScottsdaleHomeownerMag.com

WHERE GOOD COMPANY

MEETS GREAT TASTE.

Publisher / CEO – Bryan Johnson Writers - Greg Burger, Bryan Johnson Graphic Design – Greg Burger, Bree Kruger, Sherrie Carnicle, Chaz Delong, Michael Banovac, Bryan Johnson Photography – Gary Helland For advertising inquires: BJohnson405@gmail.com 480-295-9050

Scottsdale Homeowner

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FALL 2017

CHRIS NACE ARIZONA’S BEST

Scottsdale Homeowner

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HOW THE AFFLUENT MANAGE

HOME EQUITY

FALL 2017

SHOPPING AROUND? LEARN THE RIGHT WAY TO SHOP FOR A MORTGAGE

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EVOLUTION OF FITNESS:

21ST CENTURY WORKOUT WHO IS THE

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HOW THE AFFLUENT MANAGE

HOME EQUITY

SHOPPING AROUND?

LEARN THE RIGHT WAY TO SHOP FOR A MORTGAGE EVOLUTION OF FITNESS:

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21ST CENTURY WORKOUT WHO IS THE

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CONSUMER REPORT– HOME LOANS

SHOPPING AROUND?

More than likely, this is one of the largest and most important financial transactions you will ever make. You might do this only four or five times in your entire life… but we do this every single day. It’s your home and your future. It’s our profession and our passion. We’re ready to work for your best interest.

HERE'S THE INSIDE SCOOP ON HOW TO DO IT RIGHT

First: make sure you are working with an experienced, professional loan officer. The largest financial transaction of your life is far too important to place into the hands of someone who is not capable of advising you properly and troubleshooting the issues that may arise along the way. But how can you tell?

Here are FOUR SIMPLE QUESTIONS YOUR LENDER ABSOLUTELY MUST BE ABLE TO ANSWER CORRECTLY. IF THEY DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWERS… RUN…DON’T WALK… RUN…TO A LENDER THAT DOES!

1 3 4 2

What are mortgage interest rates based on?(The only correct answer is Mortgage Backed Securities or Mortgage Bonds, NOT the 10-year Treasury Note. While the 10-year Treasury Note sometimes trends in the same direction as Mortgage Bonds, it is not unusual to see them move in completely opposite directions. DO NOT work with a lender who has their eyes on the wrong indicators.)

What is the next Economic Report or event that could cause interest rate movement? (A professional lender will have this at their fingertips. For an up-to-date calendar of weekly economic reports and events that may cause rates to fluctuate, visit our Facebook page Finance of America Mortgage – Bryan

Johnson Lending Team – for daily updates. Want more? Let me know if you want to be added to my weekly distribution list.

When Janet Yellen {Chairmen of Federal Reserve} and the Fed “change rates”, what does this mean… and what impact does this have on mortgage interest rates?(The answer may surprise you. When the Fed makes a move, they can change a rate called the “Fed Funds Rate” or “Discount Rate”. These are both very shortterm rates that impact credit cards, Home Equity credit lines, auto loans and the like. On the day of the Fed move, Mortgage rates most often will actually move in the opposite direction as the Fed change. This is due to the dynamics within the financial

markets in response to inflation.

For more information and explanation, just give us a call).

Do you have access to live, real time, mortgage bond quotes?(If a lender cannot explain how Mortgage Bonds and interest rates are moving in real time and warn you in advance of a costly intra-day price change, you are talking with someone who is still reading yesterday’s newspaper, and probably not a professional with whom to entrust your home mortgage financing. Would you work with a stockbroker who is only able to grab yesterday’s paper to tell you how a stock traded yesterday, but had no idea what the movement looks like at the present time and what market conditions could cause changes in the near future? No way!)

SHOPPING... PART 2 Once you are satisfied that you are working with a top-quality professional mortgage advisor, here are the rules and secrets you must know to “shop” effectively.

FIRST, IF IT SEEMS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. But you didn’t really need us to tell you that, did you?

Mortgage money and interest rates all come from the same places, and if something sounds really unbelievable, better ask a few more questions and find

the hook. Is there a prepayment penalty? If the rate seems incredible, are there extra fees?

What is the length of the lock-in?

If fees are discounted, is it built into a higher interest rate?

SECOND, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. If you are looking for the cheapest deal out there, understand that you are placing a hugely important process into the hands of the lowest bidder. Best case, expect very little advice,

experience and personal service.

Worst case, expect that you may not close at all. All too often, you don’t know until it’s too late that cheapest isn’t BEST. But if you want the cheapest quote – head on out to the Internet, and we wish you good luck. Just remember that if you’ve heard any horror stories from family members, friends or coworkers about missed closing dates, or big surprise changes at the last minute on interest rate or costs… these are often due to working with discount or internet lenders who may have a serious lack of experience. Most importantly, remember that the cheapest rate on the wrong strategy can cost you thousands more in the long run. This is the largest financial transaction most people will make in their lifetime. That being said – we are not the cheapest.

Of course our rates and costs are very competitive, but we have also invested in the systems and team we need to ensure the top quality experience that you deserve.

THIRD, MAKE CORRECT COMPARISONS. When looking at estimates, don’t simply look at the bottom line. You absolutely must compare lender fees to lender fees, as these are the only ones that the lender controls.

And make sure lender fees are not “hidden” down amongst the title or state fees. A lender is responsible for quoting other fees involved with a mortgage loan, but since they are third party fees – they are often underquoted up front by a lender to make their bottom line appear lower, since they know that many consumers are not educated to NOT simply look at the bottom line! APR? Easily manipulated as well, and worthless as a tool of comparison.

FOURTH, UNDERSTAND THAT INTEREST RATES AND CLOSING COSTS GO HAND IN HAND. This means that you can

have any interest rate that you want – but you may pay more in costs if the rate is lower than the norm. On the other hand, you can pay discounted fees, reduced fees, or even no fees at all – but understand that this comes at the expense of a higher interest rate. Either of these balances might be right for you, or perhaps somewhere in between. It all depends on what your financial goals are. A professional lender will be able to offer the best advice and options in terms of the balance between interest rate and closing costs that correctly fits your personal goals.

FIFTH, UNDERSTAND THAT INTEREST RATES CAN CHANGE DAILY, EVEN HOURLY. This means that if you are comparing lender rates and fees – this is a moving target on an hourly basis. For example, if you have two lenders that you

just can’t decide between and want a quote from each – you must get this quote at the exact same time on the exact same day with the exact same terms or it will not be an accurate comparison. You also must know the length of the lock you are looking for, since longer rate locks typically have slightly higher rates.

Again, our advice to you is to be smart. Ask questions. Get answers.

As you can imagine, we wouldn’t be encouraging you to shop around if we weren’t pretty confident that we feel that we can give you a great value and serve you the very best.

Bryan Johnson

Mortgage Loan Officer | NMLS 858223 AmeriFirst Financial, Inc. | NMLS 145368 275 East Rivulon Boulevard, Suite 300, Gilbert, AZ 85297 Direct: 480.407.2585 | Fax: 480.750.6376 bryanj@amerifirst.us | www.BryanJohnsonLendingTEAM.com

VALLEY OF THE SUN: A NEW HOME MARKET LEADER

There has been a great amount of focus on resale housing; however, the new home market has gained substantial momentum over the last few years.

Today, we are tracking 147 builders and 752 subdivisions offering more than 4000 different floor plans valley wide.

Product offerings include attached for sale housing and traditional detached single family residential housing of various sizes across the price spectrum.

Innovative design and features in both the new floor plans as well as the new neighborhood and master plan amenities have become very popular with buyers. Builders understand the need for product that is unique and affordable to entry-level buyers as well as the move-up, lock and leave, urban lifestyle and active adult segments.

IS FOR CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT OF THE NEW HOME MARKET SEGMENT STEADILY TRENDING UPWARDS OVER THE NEAR TERM.

The Southeast Valley was the first to see real signs of recovery following the recession. This booming submarket currently has a 37 percent market share of the active new home communities today. The West Valley new home market has also come alive with strong momentum now sporting 36 percent of the active communities valley wide. The Scottsdale and Fountain Hills area continues to see significant improvement as builders focus on land opportunities in this market area which had very few new home subdivisions. The North submarket along I-17, as well as the central corridor market area have also seen an increase in new home development. Each of these submarkets presents an opportunity for both real estate agents and prospective buyers.

WE JUST HAD THE BEST JULY FOR PHOENIX HOUSING IN 10 YEARS ...

The 1,618 new-home permits that we counted for July 2017 is the highest number of permits that we have counted in any July since 2008. This most recent permit performance is over 17% higher than last July’s permit total and suggests buyers are actively searching for new homes, and builders are starting speculative homes to offer quick closings opportunities.

When we take a similar look at the year to date calculations we see that our current standing year-to-date in 2017 represents the best year-to-date new home permit performance that this market has seen in the last 11 years.

Gregory Burger President and Chief Operating Officer RL Brown Housing Reports

OUR NEW HOME FORECAST

This kind of permit performance should put to rest any doubts that remain by anyone that this region is in the midst of a fullfledged housing market recovery.

WE PROJECT 18,000 NEW HOME PURCHASES IN 2017 CLIMBING UP TO MORE THAN 26,000 CLOSINGS BY 2021.

ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW HOME ...

Builders want you to come to their sales centers and have done an excellent job managing lot inventories to avoid a shortage build ready lots. They are also being aggressive in speculative home starts for future buyers. This will help alleviate build times and more directly compete with resale housing.

Mortgage rates remain very attractive and many builders are prominently using closing cost incentives as a means to attract buyers. This is direct savings to a new home buyer.

Sales office surveys of the new home market indicate buyers are doing their homework and are actively comparing one community from another before making an in-person visit.

Tools like our ViNBS New Home Search application for consumers allow prospective purchasers to easily search for brand new homes, browse web sites and view floorplans. You can select a city, your favorite builder, or simply draw on the map to locate new home communities.

Available for free at the App Store and Google Play.

DO YOU HAVE REPRESENTATION ...

While many buyers may have real estate agents representing them, many more are acting on their own due diligence when searching for a new home.

our housing market, at least at present levels. We should not expect it to stay as favorable long term as it is today, nor should we expect prices to remain flat long term. This suggests that perhaps now could be the best opportunity to purchase a new home in Metro Phoenix.

Did you know having a real estate agent with you does not cost you money? In fact, the builder’s on-site agent represents the builder, not you as a home buyer. Get connected with a real estate agent to help you find your new home. They know which builders are offering the best incentives, and can show you where the completed spec homes are located. They are working for you and get paid by the builder which does not affect the price of a new home purchase.

If you are a new real estate agent or one with years of experience, marketing new homes can be a fun and exciting way to work in this industry. A key role in marketing new homes to your buyers is understanding how to work with on-site agents staffing new home communities. In most all instances, these licensed, on-site agents are well trained and understand how to communicate to a potential buyer the advantages of buying new versus an older, resale home.

By allowing the new home agent to demonstrate the features of the community and the model homes to your buyers, you will learn what is most important in their buying decision.

As a buyer representative, educating your buyers about the mortgage process, the construction process, the length of time it takes to build a new home, and the closing process are important. This will earn you that referral that will sustain your business for years to come.

OUR PERSPECTIVE….

First and probably foremost, our local economy continues to show growth without any signs of overheating, which suggests that there is little if any danger of a housing bubble on the near or midterm horizon for either our local economy or for our housing market.

Job growth here in Phoenix remains positive but we continue to be impacted by a shortage of construction labor even though the labor situation has improved over the last several months.

It is unreasonable to expect an acceleration of construction labor improvement as housing markets in other areas that we compete with for labor are also seeing strong housing activity.

The full impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma won’t be realized for many months and perhaps even the next year or so as qualified labor and materials are sent to these areas incentivized by wage and demand.

Population growth in our region has returned, even though it remains below what we saw in the past in boom times, it clearly supports a reasonably strong housing market for both new homes and for resale homes.

Mortgage financing is available and remains moderately affordable and is generally not considered to be an obstacle to

BIO Mr. Burger joined Home Builders Marketing in 1999 after 10 years of hands-on experience in the Phoenix housing market with major, active homebuilder firms. His vision and marketing expertise is focused on the brand awareness of RL Brown Housing Reports as well as developing technologies and data collection processes.

Real Estate professionals who have access to the Arizona Regional MLS flex system can search for new home communities using the RL Brown Magic Pro New Home Search.

Consumers searching for New Homes can get the ViNBS New Home Search application for free at the App Store and Google Play.

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How the Affluent Manage Home Equity to Safely and Conservatively Build Wealth

By Bryan Johnson

If you had enough money to pay off your mortgage right now, would you?

Many people would. In fact, the ‘American Dream’ is to own your own home, and to own it outright, with no mortgage. If the American Dream is so wonderful, how can we explain the fact that thousands of financially successful people, who have more than enough money to pay off their mortgage, refuse to do so.

The answer? Most of what we believe about mortgages and home equity, which we learned from our parents and grandparents, is wrong. They taught us to make a big down payment, get a fixed rate mortgage, and make extra principle payments in order to pay off your loan as early as you can. Mortgages, they said, are a necessary evil at best.

The problem with this rationale is it has become outdated. The rules of money have changed. Unlike our grandparents, we will no longer have the same job for 30 years. In many cases people will switch careers five or six times. Also, unlike our grandparents, we can no longer depend on our company’s pension plan for a secure retirement. A recent Gallup survey showed that 75% of workers want to retire before the age of 60, yet only 25% think they can.

Unlike our grandparents, we will no longer live in the same home for 30 years. Statistics show that the average homeowner lives in their home for only seven years. And unlike our grandparents, we will no longer keep the same mortgage for 30 years. According to the Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae, the average American mortgage lasts 4.2 years. People are refinancing their homes every 4.2 years to improve their interest rate, restructure their debt, remodel their home, or to pull out money for investing, education or other expenses.

Given these statistics, it’s difficult to understand why so many Americans continue to pay a high interest rate premium

for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, when they are likely to only use the first 4.2 years of the mortgage. We can only conclude they are operating on outdated knowledge from previous generations when there were few options other than the 30 year fixed mortgage. Wealthy Americans, those with the ability to pay off their mortgage but refuse to do so, understand how to make their mortgage work for them.

They go against many of the beliefs of traditional thinking. They put very little money down, they keep their mortgage balance as high as possible, they choose adjustable rate interest-only mortgages, and most importantly they integrate their mortgage into their overall financial plan to continually increase their wealth. This is how the rich get richer.

The game board is the same, but while most Americans are playing checkers, the affluent are playing chess. The good news is the strategies used by the wealthy work for the rest of America as well. Any homeowner can implement the strategies of the wealthy to increase their net worth.

Ric Edelman, one of the top financial planners in the country and a New York Times Best Selling author, summarizes in this book The Truth About Money, “Too often, people buy homes in a vacuum, without considering how that purchase is going to affect other aspects of their lives.

This can be a big mistake, and therefore you must recognize that owning a home holds very important implications for the rest of your financial plan. Although a fine goal, owning a home is not the

ultimate financial planning goal, and in fact how you handle issues of home ownership may well determine whether you achieve financial success.”

Why people fear mortgages, and why you shouldn’t In order to discover how our parents and grandparents got the idea that a mortgage was a necessary evil at best, we must go back in time to the Great Depression. In the 1920’s a common clause in loan agreements gave banks the right to demand full repayment of the loan at any time. Since this was like asking for the moon and the stars, no one worried about it. When the stock market crashed on October 29, 1929 millions of investors lost huge sums of money, much of it on margin. Back then, you could buy $10 of stock for a $1. Since the value of the stocks dropped, few investors wanted to sell, so they had to go to the bank and take out cash to cover their margin call. It didn’t take long for the banks to run out of cash and start calling loans due from good Americans who were faithfully making their mortgage payments every month. However, there wasn’t any demand to buy these homes, so prices continued to drop. To cover the margin calls, brokers were forced to sell stocks and once again there wasn’t a market for stocks so the prices kept dropping.

Ultimately, the Great Depression saw the stock market fall more than 75% from its 1929 highs.

More than half the nation’s banks failed and millions of homeowners, unable to raise the cash they needed to payoff their loans, lost their homes. Out of this the American Mantra was born: Always own your home outright. Never carry a mortgage.

The reasoning behind America’s new mantra was really quite simple: if the economy fell to pieces, at least you still had your home and the bank couldn’t take it away from you. Maybe you couldn’t put food on the table or pay your bills, but your home was secure. Since the Great Depression laws have been introduced that make it illegal for banks to call your loan due. The bank can no longer call you up and say, “We’re running a little short on cash and need you to pay off your loan in the next thirty days.”

Additionally, the Fed is now quick to infuse money into the system if there is a run on the banks, as we saw in 1987 and Y2K. Also, the FDIC was created to insure banks. Still, it’s no wonder the fear of losing their home became instilled in the hearts and minds of the American people, and they quickly grew to fear their mortgage. In the 1950’s and 60’s families would throw mortgage burning parties to celebrate paying off their home. And so, because of this fear of their mortgage, for nearly 75 years most people have overlooked the opportunities their mortgage provides to build financial security

Why people hate their mortgage and why you shouldn’t Many people hate their mortgage because they know over the life of a 30 year loan, they will spend more in interest than the house cost them in the first place. To save money it becomes very tempting to make a bigger down payment, or make extra principal payments. Unfortunately, saving money is not the same as making money.

Or, put another way, paying off debt is not the same as accumulating assets. By tackling the mortgage pay-off first, and the

Common Home Equity Misconceptions Many Americans believe the following statements to be true, but in reality they are myths, or misconceptions:

Your home equity is a prudent investment.

FALSE Extra principal payments on your mortgage saves you money.

FALSE Mortgage interest should be eliminated as soon as possible.

FALSE Substantial equity in your home enhances your net worth.

FALSE Home Equity has a rate of return.

FALSE

savings goal second, many fail to consider the important role a mortgage plays in our savings effort. Every dollar we give the bank is a dollar we did not invest. While paying off the mortgage saves us interest, it denies us the opportunity to earn interest with that money.

A tale of two brothers Ric Edelman has educated his clients for years on the benefits of integrating their mortgage into their overall financial plan. In his book, The New Rules of

Money, Ric tells the story of two brothers, each of whom secures a mortgage to buy a $200,000 home. Each brother earns $70,000 a year and has $40,000 in savings. The first brother, Brother A, believes in the old way of paying off a mortgage, which is as soon as possible.

Brother A bites the bullet and secures a fifteen-year mortgage at 6.38% APR and shells out all $40,000 of his savings as a 20% down payment, leaving him zero dollars to invest. This leaves him with a monthly payment of $1,383. Since he has a combined federal and state income tax rate of 32%, he is left with an average monthly net after-tax cost of $1,227. Also, in an effort to eliminate his mortgage sooner, Brother A sends an extra $100 to his lender every month.

Brother B, in contrast, subscribes to the new way of mortgage planning, choosing instead to carry a big, long-term mortgage. He secures a 30-year, interestonly loan at 7.42% APR. He outlays a small 5% down payment of $10,000 and invests the remaining $30,000 in a safe, moneymaking side account. His monthly payment is $1,175, 100% of which is tax deductible over the first 15 years, and 64% over the life of the loan, leaving him a monthly net after-tax cost of $799. Every month he adds $100 to his investments (the same $100 Brother A sent to his lender), plus the $428 he’s saved from his lower mortgage payment. His investment account earns an 8% rate of return.

Which brother made the right decision?

The answer can be found by looking into the future. After just five years Brother A has received $14,216 in tax savings, however he made zero dollars in savings and investments. Brother B, on the other hand, has received $22,557 in tax savings and his savings and investment account has grown to $83,513. Now, what if both brothers suddenly lose their jobs?

The story here turns rather bleak for Brother A. Without any money in savings, he has no way to get through the crisis.

Even though

A Tale of Two Brothers

Are you still doing this?

Adapted from the book, The New Rules of Money

Our story begins with two brothers, each earning $70,000 a year. They each have $40,000 in savings and both are buying $200,0000 homes.

Brother “A” believes in “The Old Way” – paying off the mortgage as soon as possible

Brother “B” believes in “The New Way” –carrying a big, long mortgage

15-year mortgage at 6.38% APR

30-year mortgage at 7.42% APR

$40,000 Big Down Payment

$10,000 Big Down Payment

$0 left to invest

$30,000 left to invest

$1,383 Monthly Payment

$1,175 Monthly Payment

(56% is tax deductible first year/33% average)

(100% is tax deductible first 15 yeas/64% average)

$1,227 Monthly Net After-Tax Cost

$799 Monthly Net After-Tax Cost

Sends $100 monthly to lender in effort to eliminate mortgage sooner

Adds $100 monthly to investments, plus $428 saved from lower mortgage payment where account earns 8% rate of return

Results after 5 Years Received $14,216 in tax savings

Received $22,557 in tax savings

has $0 in savings and investments

has $83,513 in savings and investments

What if both brothers suddenly lost their jobs?

Has no savings to get him through crisis

Has $83,513, in savings to tide him over

Can’t get a loan – even though he has $74,320 more in equity than his brother – because he has no job

Doesn’t need a loan

Must sell his home or face foreclosure because he can’t make payments

Can easily make his mortgage payments even if he’s unemployed for years

At this point – it’s a fire sale – he must sell at a discount and pay real estate commissions (6-7 %)

has no reason to panic since he’s still in control – remember... cash is KING!

Results After 15 Years Received $25,080 in tax savings

Received $67,670 in tax savings

Has $30,421 in savings and investments

Has $282,019 in savings and investments

Owns home outright

Remaining mortgage balance is $190,000 – and he has enough savings to pay it off and still have $92,019 left over, free and clear

Results After 30 Years Received $25,080 in tax savings

Received $107,826 in tax savings

Has $613,858 in savings and investments

Has $1,115,425 in savings and investments

Owns home outright

Owns home outright – so starts fresh and enjoys the same benefits once again

he has $74,320 of equity in his home, he can’t get a loan because he doesn’t have a job. With no job and no savings, he can’t make his monthly payments and has no choice but to sell his home in order to avoid foreclosure. Unfortunately, at this point it’s a fire sale so he must sell at a discount, and then pay real estate commissions.

Brother B, while not particularly happy at the prospects of searching for a new job, is not worried because he has $83,513 in savings to tide him over. He doesn’t need a loan and can easily make his monthly payments, even if he is unemployed for years. He has no reason to panic, as he is still in control.

Remember…

Cash is King!

Now, let’s say neither brother lost his job.

We’ll check in on them after fifteen years have passed since they purchased their homes and evaluate the results of their financing strategies. Brother A has now received $25,080 in tax savings, he has $30,421 in savings and investments (once his home was paid off he started saving the equivalent of his mortgage payment each month), and owns his home outright.

Not too bad, right?

Now let’s check on his Brother. Brother B has received $67,670 in tax savings and has $282,019 in savings and investments.

If he chooses to, he can pay off the remaining mortgage balance of $190,000 and still have $92,019 left over in savings, free and clear.

Finally, let’s assume that rather than pay off his mortgage at fifteen years, Brother B decides to ride out the whole thirty years of the loan’s life. While Brother A has still received only $25,080 in tax savings, his savings and investments have grown to $613,858, and he still owns his home outright. Brother B, on the other hand, has received a whopping

“Here is an extra $100 principal payment Mr. Banker. Don’t pay me any interest on it. If I need it back, I’ll pay you fees, borrow it back on your terms, and prove to you that I qualify.”

Money you give the bank is money you’ll never see again unless you refinance or sell.

$107,826 in tax savings, has accumulated an incredible $1,115,425 in savings and investments, and also owns his home outright. He can start over fresh and enjoy the same benefits once again. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans follow the same path as Brother A, as it’s the only path they know. Once the path of Brother B is revealed to them, a paradigm shifting epiphany often occurs as they realize Brother B’s path enables homeowners to pay their homes off sooner (if they choose to), while significantly increasing their net worth and maintaining the added benefits of liquidity and safety the entire way.

Successfully managing home equity to increase liquidity, safety, rate of return, and tax deductions In 2003, Doug Andrew, a top financial planner from Utah, was the first to clearly articulate the strategy the wealthy have been using for decades in his book, Missed Fortune. The book is based on the concepts of successfully managing home equity to increase liquidity, safety, rate of return, and tax deductions. Doug educates readers to view their mortgage and home equity through a different lens, the same lens used by the affluent. He shows how relatively minor changes in home equity perception and positioning can produce monumental long-term effects in financial security.

Many Americans believe the best way to pay off a home early is to pay extra principal on your mortgage. Similarly, many finance professors think a 15-year loan saves you money by reducing the interest you pay.

However, Doug Andrew points out in his book, Missed Fortune, that this thinking is flawed. If you do the math, you find if you set aside the monthly payment difference between a 15-year loan and a 30-year loan, as well as the tax savings into a safe side investment account earning a conservative rate of return, you will have enough to pay your home off in 13½ years (or in 15 years with $25,000 to spare!). Chapter one in Missed Fortune talks about the $25,000 mistake made by millions of Americans who choose the fifteen-year loan.

Cram Investment Group teaches an educational seminar for the public based largely on the Missed Fortune concepts. In the seminar, we break down the four key benefits of integrating your mortgage into your financial plan (increased liquidity, safety, rate of return, and tax deductions) in order to look at each one in more detail Our goal is to help clients conserve their home equity, not consume it. We are one of the few financial planning firms who encourage clients to secure debt in order to become debt free sooner.

In April 1998, The Journal of Financial Planning (published by the Institute of

Certified Financial Planners) contained the first academic study undertaken on the question of 15-year versus 30-year mortgages. They concluded the 30-year loan is better. Based on the same logic, wouldn’t an interest-only loan be better than an amortizing loan? If mortgage money cost you 4-5%, the chances are pretty good that you can earn 5% on your money. Interest rates are relative. In the 1980’s, money was costing 15%, but individuals could still earn 15% on their money. Due to the tax deductibility of mortgage interest and compounding returns, you can borrow at a higher rate and invest it at a lower rate and still make a significant profit.

Large equity in your home can be a big disadvantage By having cash available ftor emergencies and investment opportunities, most homeowners are better off than if their equity is tied up in their residence. Large, idle equity, also called ‘having all your eggs in one basket,’ can be risky if the homeowner suddenly needs cash. While employed and in excellent health, borrowing on a home is easy, but most people, especially retirees, unexpectedly need cash when they are sick, unemployed or have insufficient income. Obtaining a home loan under these circumstances can be either impossible or very expensive.

“It’s better to have access to the equity or value of your home and not need it, than to need it and not be able to get at it.”

How many of us feel when we go to the bank we almost need to prove we don’t need the money before they’ll loan it to us?

The bank wants to know we have the ability to repay the loan. You can imagine how a conversation might go with your banker: “I brought up your loan application up to the board this morning and I explained to them you’re going through some hard financial times, you’re unemployed, your credit is not so good and maybe they could lend you some cash to get through these rough times.

Their response was... ‘Fat chance!’

cash position. Why in the world would you want to have the equity removed from your home? There are actually three primary reasons:

What many people don’t realize is that even if they’ve consistently been making double mortgage payments for five years in a row, the bank still has no leniency. If suddenly they experience a financial setback, the bank will not care. They can go to the bank and plead, “I never thought in a million years this would happen to me, but it did. I’ve been paying my mortgage in advance for years, how about if I just coast on my mortgage payments for a few months?” They get the same answer every time... ‘Fat chance!’

Banks just don’t work that way. Regardless of how much you’ve paid your mortgage down or how many extra payments you’ve made, next month’s payment is still due in its entirety no matter what.

1. How liquid is it?

Why separate equity from your home?

In the book, Missed Fortune, Doug Andrew suggests people strongly consider separating as much equity as they possibly can from their house, and place it over in a

1. Liquidity 2. Safety 3. Rate of return These three elements are also commonly used as the test of a prudent investment.

When evaluating a potential investment, experienced investors will ask the following three questions: (Can I get my money back when I want it?)

2. How safe is it?

(Is it guaranteed or insured?)

3. What rate of return can I expect?

Home equity fails all three tests of a prudent investment. Let’s examine each of these core elements in more detail to better understand why home equity fails the tests of a prudent investment, and, more importantly, why home-owners benefit by separating the equity from their home.

Separating equity to increase liquidity What is the biggest secret in real estate? Your mortgage is a loan against your income, not a loan against the value of your house. Without an income, in many cases you cannot get a loan. If you suddenly experienced difficult

financial times, would your rather have $25,000 of cash to help you make your mortgage payment, or have an additional $25,000 of equity trapped in your home?

Almost every person who has ever lost their home to foreclosure would have been better off if they had their equity separated from their home in a liquid, safe, conservative side fund that could be used to make mortgage payments during their time of need.

The importance of liquidity became all too clear when the stock market crashed in October of 1987. If someone had advised you to sell your stocks and convert to cash, they would have been a hero. Or, if you had enough liquidity you could have weathered the storm. Those with other liquid assets were able to remain invested. They were rewarded as the market rebounded and recovered fully within 90 days. However, those without liquidity were forced to sell while the market was down, causing them to accept significant losses. In Missed Fortune, Doug Andrew tells the story of a young couple who learned what he calls “The $150,000 Lesson on Liquidity”. In 1978 this couple built a beautiful home that would be featured in Better Homes and Gardens. The couple’s home appreciated in value, and, by 1982, it was appraised for just under $300,000. They had accumulated a significant amount of equity, not because they had been making extra payments on the property, but because market conditions improved over that four-year period.

This couple thought they had the world by the tail. They had a home valued at

$300,000 with first and second mortgages owing only $150,000. They had “made” $150,000 in four short years.

who got stuck with the deficiency balance of $30,000 on their credit report? The original owners, of course!

They had the misconception that the equity in their home had a rate of return when, in fact, it was just a number on a sheet of paper.

This couple not only had a foreclosure appear on their credit report for seven years, the report also showed a deficiency balance owing $30,000 on a home they had lost nearly one year earlier. In a time of financial setback they lost one of their most valuable assets due to a lack of liquidity. If they had separated their $150,000 in home equity and repositioned it into a safe side account, they would have easily been able to make their mortgage payments and prevented this series of events.

At this point in the story, Doug admits the young couple was really he and his wife, Sharee. Despite objections from his editor, Doug insisted the story remain in the book because he wanted his readers to know he understands first hand the importance of positioning assets in financial instruments that maintain liquidity in the event of an emergency. If Doug and Sharee had access to their home’s equity, they could have used it to weather the financial storm until they could get back on their feet. Doug learned from his own experience the importance of maintaining flexibility in order to ride out market lows and take advantage of market highs. And, most importantly, he learned never to allow a significant amount of equity to accumulate in his property.

Home equity is not the same as cash in the bank; only cash in the bank is the same as cash in the bank. Being house rich and cash poor is a dangerous position to be in. It is

Then, a series of unexpected events reduced their income to almost nothing for nine months.

They couldn’t borrow money to keep their mortgage payments current because without an income they did not have the ability to repay. Within six months they had sold two other properties to bring their mortgage out of delinquency. They soon realized that in order to protect their $150,000 of equity they would have to sell their home. As Murphy’s Law would have it, the previously strong real estate market turned soft.

Although they reduced their asking price several times – from $295,000 down to $195,000 – they could not find a buyer. Sadly, they gave up the home in foreclosure to the mortgage lender.

Sometimes sad stories only get sadder. The two mortgages on the property were in the amounts of $125,000 and $25,000, respectively. The second mortgage holder outbid the first one at the ensuing auction, feeling that, much like the original owners, it was in a good position.

Knowing that the house had been appraised for $300,000, and the obligation owing was only $150,000, it thought it could turn around and sell the property to cover the investment. It took nine long months to sell, during which time the lender was forced to pay the first mortgage and also accrued an additional $30,000 of interest and penalties. By the time the home finally sold, less the $30,000 in accrued indebtedness, guess

better to have access to the equity or value of your home and not need it, than to need it and not be able to get at it. Keeping home equity safe is really a matter of positioning yourself to act instead of react to market conditions over which you have no control.

Separating equity to increase safety of principal The Seattle Times, in an article published in March 2004, reported, “Remember that housing prices can and do level off.

They sometimes decline – witness Southern California just a little more than a decade ago, when prices took a 20 percent to 30 percent corrective jolt downward.” Real estate equity is no safer than any other investment whose value is determined by an external market over which we personally have no control. In fact, due to the hidden “risks of life,” real estate equity is not nearly as safe as many other conservative investments and assets.

A home that is either mortgaged to the hilt or owned totally free and clear provides the greatest safety for the homeowner.

“Home equity is not the same as cash in the bank. Only cash in the bank is the same as cash in the bank.”

Americans typically believe home equity is a very safe investment. In fact, according to a recent study, 67% of Americans have more of their net worth in home equity than in all other investments combined. However, if 100 financial planners looked at a client portfolio that was 67% weighted in a single investment, 99 out of 100 of them would immediately recommend the client diversify to reduce their risk and increase safety of principal. Holding large amounts of home equity puts the homeowner at unnecessary risk. This risk could be greatly reduced by diversifying their home equity into other investments.

An example of the necessity of keeping your home’s equity safely separated from your property can be can be found in Houston, Texas. When oil prices fell to all time lows in the early 1980’s the city of Houston was hit hard. Thousands of workers were laid off and ultimately forced to sell their homes.

With a glut of homes on the market, housing prices plummeted. Unfortunately, there were far too many sellers and far too few buyers.

Homeowners were unable to sell and unable to make their mortgage payments. As a result, 16,000 homes were foreclosed. Did these 16,000 families suddenly become bad people? No, they just couldn’t make their mortgage payments. Just prior to this series of events many of these people were making extra principal payments. Unfortunately, they could not coast on those extra payments, and with so many houses on the market for sale, some people literally had to walk away from their home.

The equity these people had worked so hard to build up was lost completely. They learned the hard way that home equity is fragile, and certainly not as safe as they once thought. Could this happen today? Just look at when the Enron Corporation collapsed a few years ago, and thousands lost their jobs and homes, again in Houston, Texas. What would happen in the Seattle area if Microsoft or Boeing had major lay-offs? Money you give the bank is money you’ll never see again unless you refinance or sell. When the people in Houston pleaded, “Mr. Banker,

I’ve been making extra mortgage payments for years. I’m well ahead of schedule. Will let you let me coast for a while?” The bank replied, “Fat Chance!”

To reduce the risk of foreclosure during unforeseen set-backs, keep your mortgage balance as high as possible Is your home really safe? Unfortunately, many home buyers have the misconception that paying down their mortgage quickly is the best method of reducing the risk of foreclosure on their homes. However, in reality, the exact opposite is true. As homeowners pay down their mortgage, they are unknowingly transferring the risk from the bank to themselves. When the mortgage balance is high, the bank carries the most risk. When the mortgage balance is low, the homeowner bears the risk. With a low mortgage balance the bank is in a great position, as they stand to make a nice profit if the homeowner defaults. In addition to assuming unnecessary risk, many people who scrape up every bit of extra money they can to apply against principal often find themselves with no liquidity. When tough times come, they find themselves scrambling to make their mortgage payments.

Assume you’re a mortgage banker looking at your portfolio, and you have 100 loans that are delinquent. All of the loans are for homes valued at $300,000. Some of the loan balances are $150,000 and some are $250,000. Suddenly, there is a glut in the market and the homes are now worth $200,000. Which homes do you as the banker foreclose on FIRST? The ones owing the least amount of money, of course. After all, as a banker you’d make money taking back those homes, however you’d lose money trying to sell a home for $200,000 that still owed $250,000 on it. Banks have been known to call delinquent homeowners with high mortgage balances and offer

assistance, “We understand you are going through some tough times, is there anything we can do to help you? We really want you to be able to keep your home.” The last thing they want to do is take back a home that they will lose money reselling.

It’s interesting to note, during the Great Depression, the Hilton chain of hotels was deeply affected by the stock market crash and couldn’t make their loan payments.

What saved them from financial ruin? They were so leveraged, in other words they owed so much more on their property than it was worth, that the banks couldn’t afford to bother wasting their time foreclosing on it. The Hiltons understood the value of keeping high mortgage balances thereby keeping the risk on the banks. The Houston homeowners would have been better off if they had removed a large portion of their equity and put it in a safe and liquid side fund, accessible in a time of need.

Ask yourself, if you owned a $400,000 home during an earthquake in California (and you didn’t have earthquake insurance), would you rather have your equity trapped in the house or in a liquid, safe side fund?

If it were trapped in the home, your equity would be lost along with the house.

Separating equity to increase rate of return What do you think the rate of return on home equity was in Seattle for the last 3 years? What about Portland? Careful, this is a trick question. The truth is, it doesn’t matter where you live or how fast the homes are appreciating, the return on home equity is always the same, ZERO. We have a misconception that because our home appreciates, or our mortgage balance is going down, that the equity has a rate of return. That’s not true. Home equity has NO rate of return. Home values fluctuate due to market conditions, not due to the mortgage balance. Since the equity in the home has no relation to the home’s value, it is in no way responsible for

the home’s appreciation. Therefore, home equity simply sits idle in the home. It does not earn any rate of return. Assume you have a home worth $100,000 which you own free and clear. If the home appreciates 5%, you own an asset worth $105,000 at the end of the year.

Now, assume you had separated the $100,000 of home equity and placed it in a safe, conservative side account earning 8%. Your side account would be worth $108,000 at the end of the year. You still own the home, which appreciated 5% and is worth $105,000. By separating the equity you created a new asset which was also able to earn a rate of return. Therefore, you earned $8,000 more than you would have if the money were left to sit idle in the home. To be fair, you do have a mortgage payment you didn’t have before.

However, since interest rates are relative, if we are assuming a rate of return of 8%, we can also assume a strategic interestonly mortgage would be available at 5%.

Also, since mortgage interest is 100% tax

deductible, the net cost of the money is only 3.6%. This produces a 4.4% positive spread between the cost of money and the earnings on that money.

The story gets much more compelling over time, although the mortgage debt remains constant, through compound interest, the side account continues to grow at a faster pace each year. The earnings on $100,000 in year 1 are $8,000. Then in year 2, the 8% earnings on $108,000 are $8,640. In year 3, the earnings on $116,640 at 8% are $9,331.

Since the mortgage debt remains the same, the spread between the cost of the mortgage money and the earnings on the separated equity continues to widen further in the homeowner’s favor every year. If we allow home equity to remain idle in the home, we give up the opportunity to put it to work and allow it to grow and compound.

Homeowners would actually be better off burying money in their backyards than

paying down their mortgages, since money buried in the backyard is liquid (assuming you can find it), and its safe (assuming no one else finds it). However, neither is earning a rate of return. It’s actually losing value due to inflation. Few people today bury money in the back yard or under their mattresses, because they have confidence in the banking system. They also understand idle money loses value while invested money grows and compounds. As Albert Einstein said, “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” After all, homes were built to house families, not store cash. Investments were made to store cash.

Taken from a different angle, suppose you were offered an investment that could never go up in value, but might go down. How much of it would you want? Hopefully none.

Yet, this is home equity. It has no rate of return, so it cannot go up in value, but it could go down in value if the real estate market declines or the homeowner experiences an uninsured loss (e.g. an earthquake), disability, or a foreclosure

“Homes are designed to house families,not store cash.”

“Investments are designed to store cash.”

The power of leverage Let’s be clear, buying a home can be a great investment. However, the wealthy buy the home with as little of their own money as possible, leaving the majority of their cash in other investments where it’s liquid, safe, and earning a rate of return. One of the biggest misconceptions homeowners have is that their home is the best investment they ever made.

If you purchased a home in 1990 for $250,000 and sold it in June of 2003 for $600,000, that represents a gain of 140%. During the same period, the Dow Jones grew from 2590 to 9188, a gain of 255%. The reality here is that financing your home was the best investment decision that you ever made. When you purchased the $250,000 house in 1990, you only put $50,000 down. The $50,000 cash investment produced a profit of $350,000. That is a total return of 600%, far outpacing the measly 255% earned by the stock market.

The cost of not borrowing (employment cost vs. opportunity cost) When homeowners separate equity to reposition it in a liquid, safe, side account, a mortgage payment is created. The mortgage payment is considered the Employment Cost. What many people don’t understand is when we leave equity trapped in our home, we incur the same cost, but we call it a lost Opportunity Cost.

The money that’s parked in your home doing nothing could be put to work earning you something.

Let’s say you had $100,000 of equity in your home that could be separated. Current mortgage interest is 5%, so the cost of that money would be $5,000 per year (100% tax deductible). Rather than bury the $100,000 in the backyard, we are going to put it to work, or “employ” it. If I were an employer, why would I be willing to hire an assistant for $35,000 per year? The expectation is I am going to be able to grow my business and earn a profit on it. As a business owner, I believe that by investing in an assistant I will earn a return that’s greater than the cost of employing that assistant. If we choose to leave the $100,000 of equity in our home, we incur almost the same cost. The only difference is, instead of referring to that cost as employment cost, it is referred to as an opportunity cost. By leaving the equity in the home, we give up the “opportunity” to earn a 5 percent return on the money.

By separating the equity we give it new life.

We give ourselves the opportunity to put it to work and earn something on it. Assuming a 28 percent tax bracket, the net employment cost is not 5%, but 3.6%, or $3,600 per year after taxes (mortgage interest is 100% tax deductible). It’s not too difficult to find tax free or tax deferred investments earning more than 3.6%. Using the tax benefits of a mortgage, you can create your own arbitrage by borrowing at one rate and earning investment returns at a slightly higher rate. It’s what the banks and credit unions do all the time. They borrow our money at 2% and then loan it back to us at

5%. It’s what makes millionaires, millionaires!

Learn to be your own banker. By using the principles that banks and credit unions use, you can amass a fortune. A bank’s greatest assets are its liabilities. You can substantially enhance your net worth by optimizing the assets that you already have. By being your own banker you can make an extra $1 Million for retirement.

How to create an extra million dollars for retirement By repositioning $200,000 into an equity management account with a financial advisor you can achieve a net gain of $1 million over thirty years. Assume you separate the $200,000 of home equity using a mortgage with a 5% interest rate. If the $200,000 grows at a conservative rate of 6.75% per year, it will be worth $1,419,275 in 30 years.

After deducting the $216,000 in interest payments and the $200,000 mortgage, you still have $1,003,275 left in your account. A net gain of over one million dollars.

This example simply shows a one time repositioning of equity. Imagine how the numbers grow for individuals that harvest and reposition their home equity every 5 years as their home continues to appreciate!

This is how the wealthy manage their home equity to continually increase their net worth.

Conversely, if the same $200,000 were left to sit idle in the home for 30 years, it would not have earned a dime.

Betting the ranch; risking home equity to buy securities Recently the NASD issued an alert, “… because we are concerned that investors who must rely on investment returns to make their mortgage payments could end up defaulting on their home loans if their investments decline and they are unable to meet their monthly mortgage payments.” The NASD is absolutely correct in advising against separating equity if the client must rely on the returns from their investment to make the mortgage payments.

Home equity is Serious Money. We don’t gamble home equity. Liquidity and safety are the key philosophies when separating home equity. Rate of return is a distant third benefit. Also, it is not necessary or recommended to invest in highly volatile or aggressive investments.

You can make thousands of dollars by simply borrowing at 5% and investing at 5% in safe conservative fixed investments without ever going into securities. In general, individuals should not invest home equity for “current income” unless the investment is fixed and guaranteed. Individuals interested in variable investments should ask themselves, “How will I make my mortgage payment if my investments decline? Do I have reserve funds or a secure income?” In April 2004, the following question was posed to the NASD, “Where can I find the exact language prohibiting a broker from recommending that I take a mortgage out on my house and invest the money in securities?” The written answer

from the NASD: “Brokers are not prohibited from making such a recommendation per se, so long as the investment is reasonably suitable for investment in general, and it is suitable for the specific customer. In order to determine suitability, a broker should consider the client’s investment objectives, financial status, tax status, and any other information a firm uses to make suitable client recommendations. This would include adequately explaining the risks of such an investment, which are significant, to the investor.” The NASD simply wants to ensure consumers are receiving prudent advice.

Tax deductions to offset 401k withdrawals Most successful retirees have the majority of their assets in their home equity and IRA/401Ks. As they start withdrawing funds from their IRA/401Ks, they are hit with a significant annual tax bill. Moreover, the kids have moved out, the mortgage is paid, and tax deductible contributions to 401Ks have stopped. When they could use the mortgage interest deduction the most, they don’t have it. As part of long term planning, someone who is preparing for retirement may want to have a mortgage going into retirement to help offset the annual IRA/401k tax bill and enhance their overall financial goals.

For many, the mortgage interest deduction offsets taxes due on retirement withdrawals, giving the net effect of tax free withdrawals from their retirement account.

401 vacation condo Many successful people in the Northwest dream of retiring and buying a second home in Arizona or Hawaii. With one million dollars or more saved in their IRA/401Ks, they decide to retire and buy the vacation home where they will spend their winters. What a surprise when they discover that to pay cash for a $350,000 condo they need to withdraw nearly $500,000 from their 401K/IRA. What if instead they had purchased the condo 15 years earlier, when it cost $175,000, by using the equity in their home?

Today their net worth would be $175,000 higher, due to the condo’s appreciation, and they would have the mortgage interest deduction to help off-set their IRA/401K withdrawals. In addition to the financial advantages, they would have enjoyed the lifestyle benefits of owning their vacation condo 15 years sooner than they planned.

Making uncle sam your best partner Under tax law you can deduct up to one million dollars of mortgage interest subject to income restrictions. You can also deduct an additional $100,000 from home equity loan interest. To take advantage of these deductions, make sure to secure a large mortgage when you buy. Under tax law, mortgage interest is deductible only for

$100,000 over acquisition indebtedness (the mortgage balance when home is purchased). Home improvements are the only exception. For example, if you sell your home for $400,000 and buy a new home for $400,000 with the cash from the sale, you will lose the tax break and liquidity.

But worse, if you later decide to take out a home equity loan, only the first $100,000 will be tax deductible. Instead, secure a $360,000 mortgage (90%) when you buy the home and the entire amount is deductible.

Where to safely invest home equity Home equity is serious money. We are separating it from the home to conserve it, not to consume it. Therefore it should not be invested aggressively. Rather, home equity is best invested in safe, conservative investment vehicles. Tax favored safe investments are ideal. You should consult your financial planner for the best investment vehicles for your specific situation. Many financial planners prefer the following tax favored products for investing home equity: • Investment grade insurance contracts • Annuities • Real estate investment trusts • IRAS • 401ks • Tax-free bonds • 529 savings plan

Case study: home equity management

Case study: cash flow management

There’s a recent case study of a couple living in a $550,000 home in Bellevue, WA. They owed $360,000 on a 30-year fixed mortgage at 5.875% with a monthly payment of $2,130. They had $190,000 built up in home equity. A very common “Brother A”-type traditional scenario. After understanding the liquidity, safety, rate of return, and tax benefits of properly managing their home equity, this couple decided to separate $155,800 of their equity to invest in a safe conservative side account. By using an interest-only ARM they were able to increase their mortgage balance to separate this chunk of equity while decreasing their monthly mortgage payment to $1,656, a monthly cash flow savings of $474 per month.

It’s not necessary to have a large chunk of equity in your home to benefit from using your mortgage to create wealth. Many homeowners without a large equity balance have benefited by simply moving to a more strategic mortgage which allows them to pay less to their mortgage company each month, thereby enabling them to save or invest more each month. For example, a couple in Redmond, Washington followed traditional thinking when they bought their $400,000 home. They put 20% down and obtained a $320,000 30-year fixed rate mortgage at 6.00% with a payment of $1,919 per month. This is how the vast majority of Americans would purchase this home.

The couple conservatively invested the $155,800 lump sum and the $474 per month savings with their financial planner. If we assume a conservative 6% rate of return, their investment account will grow to $520,196 in 15 years. In the 15th year, they will have enough cash in their investment account to pay off their mortgage completely if they want to (15 years earlier than with their original 30 year mortgage!). However, armed with their new equity management knowledge, they plan to keep the mortgage well into retirement so they can keep the tax deduction benefits and keep the money in the investment account where it’s more liquid, more safe, and will continue to grow and compound.

However, once this couple understood the benefits of integrating their mortgage into their financial plan, they decided to make a change. They moved to a more strategic interest-only mortgage. They kept the same loan balance, but were able to reduce their monthly payments to $1,133 per month, a savings of $786 per month from their previous mortgage. The couple invests the $786 savings each month, and assuming a 6% rate of return, they will have enough money in their investment account to pay off their mortgage in 19 years (11 years sooner than their previous 30 year schedule!). Therefore, by simply redirecting a portion of their monthly mortgage payment, they were able to potentially shave 11 years off their mortgage.

In addition, they also received the benefits of having their cash in a more liquid, more safe position throughout the process.

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Proudly Closing the American Dream.

Tell us what got you in to this crazy business? My parents were both real estate agents. Growing up I was always around them learning and working with them in my free time. I got licensed during my junior year of college as a way to help them out and just fell in love with the industry.

What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about creating meaningful relationships with others & helping them reach their goals.

What are your sales numbers for the last 12 months? 119 Closings, 16.6 Million Tell us about your family? We are a tight knit group. My parents brought me into the business at a young age. My brother is my business partner and is an unsung hero. Working alongside him has allowed me to focus on my strengths - we really balance each other out. I have an amazing wife (Kara) and two boys (Mason, 7 and Luke, 5).

When you think of the word “Successful”, who’s the first person who comes to mind and why? Not any one person. To me, the most successful people are making the most out of every day & having fun while they do it.

Do you have any mentors? My family, and also Dale Hillard (Former DB at West USA).

Who has been the most influential person in your career? My Dad. He was a police officer, turned developer, turned real estate agent. I get my work ethic from him. He was always seeking to evolve, learn more, and was never satisfied with the status quo.

What are some of your goals for 2017? 1.Grow my real estate team 2. Improve my business processes 3. Integrate more technology What is something you believe that other people think is insane? What is the book {or books} you’ve given most as a gift?

“Make Your Bed” by Admiral William H McRaven. It’s a simple read but really is a mindset shift for a lot of people.

Do you do anything really cool for a closing gift for your clients? We always buy a gift tailored specifically to the client. Usually in conversation, we find out something they are dying to have for their new space & we take care of that. We like to buy a gift that will be useful or help them create memories.

What is your favorite documentary or movie? I am a big fan of the Rocky Movies. If there is one on tv, I will always stop and watch them What are your morning rituals? What does the first 60 minutes of your day look like? I wake up, check my emails, and make breakfast for my family. Work/Life balance is tough, but I’m committed to having two meals every day with my family.

What obsessions do your explore on the evenings or weekends? I love going to the gym and working out. I also coach group classes during the week and coach my kids in baseball.

What topic would you speak about if you were asked to give a talk on something outside of real estate? Leadership. A lot of people confuse dictating for leading. You can’t have a one size fits all approach when it comes to managing people.

What is the worst advice you see or hear being dispensed in your world? It’s the lack of honest advice that bothers me. Rather than deliver tough feedback we have become focused on letting people down gently. Some of my biggest moments of growth have come when people dealt me the most candid feedback.

If someone told you they were thinking about becoming a real estate agent what advise would you give them? Surround yourself with people that will challenge you to be better every day and not let you just slide by being satisfied with anything less than your best effort.

What advice would you give your 20-, 25- or 30-year old self? And please place where you were at the time, and what you were doing? At 20, I was living and playing baseball in San Diego, I would tell myself to spend less time going out and more time listening to my Dad. At 25 my dad had just passed away and I was trying to learn how to run their book of business. I would tell myself that you need to stop worrying about what other people are doing and focus on what’s in front of you. At 30, I just became a Dad for the second time. I would tell myself that everything doesn’t need to get done today. Spend the extra time with your boys.

Do you have any interesting hobbies or talents? After college I played professional baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I spent 20 years of my life developing that skill, and ended up walking away from baseball to get married and pursue my real estate career.

What is something really weird or unsettling that happens to you on a regular basis? My wife and I literally can’t go pretty much anywhere without running into someone I know. I went to many schools growing up so she likes to tease me about the fact that I know everyone.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Or, do you have a favorite failure of yours? From as early as I could remember I wanted to play major league baseball. I trained and worked towards this goal. When I was 24 I had the opportunity to play minor league baseball. It was clear to me that I was not going to progress any further so I fully pursued my second career (real estate). I cannot stress how much that entire process has shaped who I am as a leader and professional estate agent. There is not a course or seminar that could replicate the same life lessons.

MEET THE 2017 REAL ESTATE AWARD WINNERS

Last parting words? For my fellow agents, I would say … become more. Times are changing fast and if you aren’t constantly looking for ways to improve your craft, you are going to get lapped soon. For consumers, I would say… do your homework.

We have so much data at our fingertips. First it is proven that you will actually save money by hiring a professional. Second, research that professional and make sure that you are getting a reputable person that aligns with your needs!

MAN

OF THE

YEAR

DAVID PRUITT WEST USA REALTY REALTOR®

Tell us how you got into this business? Real estate is in my blood. I pretty much grew up in the industry. As a child, I can remember playing under my dad’s desk listening to him work with clients and closing deals. It was a phenomenal experience to watch my dad build West USA Realty from the ground up. We now have over 2,300 real estate professionals.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? I always knew I wanted to be a business owner when I grew up. My father raised my brothers and sisters and me to be forward thinking entrepreneurs. It’s an awesome experience to be doing it with them.

What sports did you play as a kid? When I was young, I often played soccer and baseball. However, I always loved hockey, but had to wait until I could afford to play the sport myself. I love to attend Coyotes games and I have season tickets.

What do you do to burn off steam? I don’t have many hobbies, but I enjoy spending time with my two children, Samantha and Steven, and my wife, Brenda. We love to go camping and to hockey games when we can.

Tell us about your upbringing? I was the youngest of five. My parents dedicated our family’s business to keeping us siblings close. West USA Realty is a family owned and operated business, so we were always immersed in the business. My dad always taught his “team” to work hard and care for others. Those principles are an important part of every business venture.

Tell us something most people do not know? I married my high school sweetheart, Brenda, at the age of 18. We are happily married with our two children. Another unusual fact about me is that I used to race dirt track.

What are you passionate about? I am deeply passionate about creating a brokerage where all of our agents succeed. I want to continue to create a brokerage that leads the industry in technology, training, and broker support.

What is your favorite part about what you do? There is no greater feeling than to see our agents succeed in their individual real estate businesses. It’s a great feeling to know that I play a role in helping people achieve their dreams.

How have you become successful in this competitive market? West USA Realty has always been a successful brokerage. We have achieved this by focusing on the needs of our agents. My job is to take West USA Realty to a new level in agent services.

As the second generation of our brokerage, I still follow my dad’s business model of hard work, honesty, and innovation.

BROKERAGE

OF THE

YEAR

CLINT FOUTS WEST USA REALTY PRESIDENT

What are some of the keys to your success? It’s been simple. I attribute much of my success to focusing on hiring the right people and relying on them to further our mission.

What is your favorite sports team? Coyotes by far.

What sets your team apart from others? I know that every company feels they have the best team, but I truly believe my team is. I am lucky to have a group of people who are dedicated, creative and have a strong work ethic.

How do you win at business? That’s an easy one. You win by hiring the right people for the job and then get out of their way to let them do their job and be successful. ’ How do you utilize technology in your business? Technology is one of West USA Realty’s main focal points. Though it’s clicheé to say, I feel that we really do offer the best in technology for our agents. Our family of agents have praised West USA Realty for providing extensive tools to propel their careers. We partner with several technology developers to consistently provide the most up-to-date options and features. From the earlier days of West USA Realty, technology was also a focus and it still remains one today. As a matter of fact, West USA Realty was one of the first Arizona brokerage to have a company website.

We now provide free websites and mobile apps to our agents. We also have a proprietary agent dashboard that offers resources, necessary agent documents, and transaction data.

What are you doing to attract new business? We focus on determining what type of support, technology offerings, training, and broker support that agents need in order to be successful. We want to help all of our agents build successful real estate careers. Therefore, we cater to those who are the best and those who want to be the best.

What is leadership to you? As a leader, I focus on finding the perfect people for our company and then allow them to grow to their potential. This allows West USA Realty to grow without micromanaging the process.

What do you see on the horizon for 2018 in the real estate market? That’s the big question on everybody’s mind. I think the market will remain consistent in sales and price appreciation during the fourth quarter of 2017. Low Inventory will continue to plague the industry. A Seller’s Market is when inventory goes below 4 months’ supply, and a Buyer’s Market is when inventory goes above a 6 months’ supply. Inventory has been under 3 months’ supply all year long, placing increased pressure on sales prices and making it more difficult for buyers to find the right home. I expect the inventory to remain in a 2 to 3-month supply for the rest of the year.

What is your team doing to take advantage of future opportunities? We are constantly trying to stay current and innovative in the everchanging real estate market. This allows us to be knowledgeable about future trends and allow us to plan and prepare for them.

What is this we hear about your new technology? That’s a great question. We are incredibly excited to announce the revealing our new FLEX website, www.WestUSAFlex.com. This website allows any agent to pick their own compensation plan and go through the entire hiring process online. We haven’t seen anything else like this in the industry.

What advice would you give a brand new agent? You are now a business owner and entrepreneur. Unfortunately, most agents are by themselves and have to wear many hats, such as salesperson, receptionist, accountant, chief marketing officer, etc. You have to surround yourself with the right people and understand that there is more to being an agent than simply having a license, taking listings and showing homes. The best thing any new agent can do to accelerate their business is to get a coach. That is why we have focused so much energy on our coaching program at West USA Realty.

Tell us what got you in to this crazy business? My Cousin Jason Abrams got me into this crazy business in the summer of 2015. It’s funny I remember it like it was yesterday. My birthday is May 12th, the same day I had my first day cold calling for Jason’s real estate company with Keller Williams. Jason has been selling homes and running an extremely successful real estate company for 20 + years and has always been a mentor and someone I’ve look up to. He got me my start and helped me with one of the hardest things there is to do and arguably the most important and that’s lead generation. Without him I would not be where I am today.

Do you have a mission statement? “Whatever It Takes” What are your sales? 67 homes sold in the last 16 months and 12 currently listed for sale.

What area’s do you specialize in? I sell homes all around the valley. Part of my success that allowed me to finish so strong in my first year of real estate was not being a picky realtor. What I mean is I wasn’t necessarily listing homes down the street from me or showing buyers properties that were 5 minutes away from my office. Sometimes I drove an hour to a house if I knew there was a good chance I would be able to secure the business. I am born and raised in Scottsdale and have a very good understanding about that market. After many hours of comparing properties in the east valley, west valley, Phoenix, Scottsdale ….you name it I have gotten to a point where I confidently am able to sell in just about any city I want here in Arizona.

Tell us about your family? I have a very close relationship with my family! I have a rockstar for a mom who has been the biggest supporter in my life! She is retiring this year after an incredibly successful 26 year long career running a non profit organization here in AZ called Arizona Forward. I could not be more proud of her! My dad and I are very close and I continue to beat him in golf every Sunday. He’s certainly my biggest fan and cheerleader! I have a younger brother that has always been my best friend! From day one my brother Justin and I have always been big sports competitors. He is now in his Junior year at University of Arizona – BearDown! Love you bro!

When you think of the word “Successful”, who’s the first person who comes to mind and why? Ted Schuman – When I think success I think of it as more than just a monetary level. Ted is one of my best friends fathers and from day 1 has always been a role model and someone I could go to for advice in life and in business. The reason I picked Ted for this answer is because in my opinion he is winning in all aspects of life. Business, family, health, wealth, happiness, productivity… you name it the guy seems to have it all. When I think of the word success I think of someone that is not just successful in work or in family or in health but really is winning at everything.

Do you have any mentors? Ben Arredondo, Ted Schuman, Jason Abrams, Grant Cardone What are some of your goals for 2017?

Help 100 families buy or sell a house, start a second business, get in better physical shape, teach and speak about real estate, read 20 books, give my time to those in need, stop procrastinating on the little things, eat better, play more golf.

What is your favorite documentary or movie? Boiler Room & Wolf of Wall Street What are your morning rituals? What does the first 60 minutes of your day look like? Breakfast, walk the dog, listen to a podcast, drink coffee on my balcony with no distractions and then go to the gym and workout What is the best or most worthwhile investment you’ve made? Could be an investment of money, time, energy, or other resource. How did you decide to make this investment? I’ve made two investments that I can think of that really paid off for me in a big way. The first was something called “Cardone University”. In 2015 I started working in a call center helping realtors find leads and I was really learning “sales”. I was 19 with no real understanding of the whole subject but was committed to giving everything I had to learning how. Cardone University is a sales training online platform taught by Grant Cardone that really showed me how to communicate over the phoe. The second best investment I made was was investing 2 years working for Jason’s real estate team and being patient as I learned the rope. Part of something I see especially from my generation is people being so caught up in the get rich quick schemes and processes. I invested time. These 2 years were the catalyst for me and the start of something I can do forever.

ROOKIE

OF THE

YEAR ERIC BROSSART

What is the worst advice you see or hear being dispensed in your world? “Don’t work to hard” What obsessions do your explore on the evenings or weekends? Golf If someone told you they were thinking about becoming a real estate agent what advise would you give them? I would tell them that they should start becoming masters at the “people business” not the “real estate business” What advice would you give your 20-, 25- or 30-year old self? And please place where you were at the time, and what you were doing? Well seeing that I am 23 at the moment I would tell myself at 20 that I need to surround myself with the right people and start putting myself in the right environments to be successful. You are the average of the 5 people you hang around most.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Or, do you have a favorite failure of yours? Everyday I fail 96% of the time talking with people about potentially selling their home. Meaning if I make 100 calls and 96 people tell me that they have absolutely no interest in selling their home and 4 people do I have had a successful day. Fail forward. Life is a game of inches and patience with the right mindset has helped me overcome obstacles and false failures. If you take a failure and learn from it, it is no longer a failure in my book.

What have you changed your mind about in the last few years? Why? The subject of Time. When I was 19,20 or even 21 I didn’t necessarily believe the concept of “time is money”. As I have now been working, running a business, trying to get in good shape, trying to have a life outside of work and juggling everything else that comes with that I have found that this quote is absolutely without a doubt true!

Last parting words? I am honored to be recognized in this magazine and want to thank everyone that took the time to vote for me, everyone that’s helped me along my journey, supported me and been there for me!

ENVISION TEAM WITH MY HOME GROUP

Tell us what got you in to this crazy business?

Michelle: Wanted to work my own hours. Now I realize I work everyone else’s hours but mine. LOL Vic: I wanted the same boss at work as I do at home…no seriously, Michelle’s business was growing and I knew that being able to help her, would help grow our business and our lives.

What are you passionate about?

Vic: My wife, my kids, golf & travel We both love to travel an spend a lot of time with friends and family!

What are your sales numbers for the last 12 months? $15,452,250M What area’s do you specialize in?

Michelle: Primarily residential resale. I don’t believe in, and have never been, an agent who says “I ONLY work HERE” or “I don’t do Short Sales”. I have sold multi-million dollar homes and $25,000 condos. I believe in helping anyone and everyone who wants me to help them!

Tell us about your family?

Michelle: Vic comes from a very large family, very extended. I came from a small family but our families have known each other since they were in high school at Scottsdale High in the 1960’s…long before Vic and I ever met! So, blending our families was super easy! We have one daughter, Jordyn, who works with one of our lenders and lives in Denver. She is getting engaged to be married next year!

When you think of the word “Successful”, who’s the first person who comes to mind and why?

Vic: My wife Michelle…she has built her business from the ground up on her own tenacity, hard work, and dedication…some help from me, but it’s her success…

What is something you believe that other people think is insane?

Vic: Golf is the same as love, as soon as you think you have it mastered, it will jump up and bite you in the ass

WOMAN

OF THE

YEAR MICHELLE HOUZE LAUNCH

Do you do anything really cool for a closing gift for your clients?

Michelle: Depends on the client…recently I had a newly blended family buy their first home as a family. They had 3 little girls all under the age of 10 and a brand new pool. I bought each of the girls a closing gift…. GIANT pool floats. Each got a different character (Unicorn. Flamingo, Pegasus) and they loved them….and so did their parents.

What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last 6 months?

Vic: BitCoin What are your morning rituals? What does the first 60 minutes of your day look like?

Vic: The gym.

What obsessions do your explore on the evenings or weekends?

Michelle: We are big sports fans and we eat out a lot. So you can usually find us at a great restaurant or at a great sports bar. If its during one of the REALLY nice months, we like to do anything fun outside….Taco Festival, Beer Festivals, Art Fairs.

What topic would you speak about if you were asked to give a talk on something outside of real estate?

Vic: Learn how to speak in public and own it What is the best or most worthwhile investment you’ve made? Could be an investment of money, time, energy, or other resource. How did you decide to make this investment?

Michelle: I would say that the most worthwhile investment that I have made was in my daughter. It would be competitive cheerleading! She learned so much about teamwork, dedication, commitment PLUS I really believe that children need something extracurricular that they love to do. Keeps them out of trouble and on a good path. The life lessons were invaluable and have stuck with her into adulthood.

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?

Vic: “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been”-Wayne Gretsky What is the worst advice you see or hear being dispensed in your world?

Vic: We are going to wait to sell until the market goes up/wait to buy until the market goes down- you will never know until 12-18 months after If someone told you they were thinking about becoming a real estate agent what advice would you give them?

Vic: Have 6 months of reserves, jump in head first What advice would you give your 20-, 25- or 30-year old self? And please place where you were at the time, and what you were doing?

Michelle: I would tell my 20 something self, who was floundering at ASU because she didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up and was partying way too much at dance clubs, that a college degree isn’t necessary to be happy and successful AND TO GO TO REAL ESTATE SCHOOL! Wish I would have done it 20 years sooner!!

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know?

Michelle: We are BOTH native Phoenicians. Vic wen to Arcadia and I went to Xavier before we both went to ASU. Also, Vic was in a rock band in high school.

What have you changed your mind about in the last few years? Why? Vic: How words, no matter how trivial to me, can really hurt.

What do you believe is true, even though you can’t prove it?

Michelle: God or a Higher Power. Angels. I cannot believe that all of THIS just happened. I believe that there is something more than us, greater than us out there. I believe that angles surround us and provide guidance and protection.

Last parting words?

Michelle: As Cliché as it sounds, we both just feel really blessed to have this career and to have made so many new friends who were once clients.

FAMILY

TEAM

OF THE

YEAR

MICHELLE & VIC HOUZE LAUNCH

is proud to announce their partnership with

The Power Team

Deanna Lee

deanna.lee@ctt.com

480-285-8210

Kelly Rogers

Holly Stidham Wilson

480-695-0995

480-703-8087

kelly.rogers@ctt.com

holly.wilson@ctt.com

The Power Team has joined forces with Chicago Title Agency in Scottsdale to bring you the most knowledgeable and professional real estate market service in the valley.

Conveniently located in Scottsdale, 6710 N. Scottsdale Road.

A F O RT U N E 5 0 0 C O M PA N Y

MEET

Brock O'Neal

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Brock O’Neal is a real estate agent who is considered one of the top producers in Arizona. His career and personal challenges, including a bout with cancer, have created the man he is today. He attributes his success to working hard, loving what he does and genuinely being committed to serving his clients. He gets sheer enjoyment from helping families enrich their lives.

He decided to post his story on Facebook describing his experience with cancer, real estate, relationships and work ethic.

Due to his transparency with the world, he started to receive several referrals. His business increased like never before. He started helping others who were in similar situations and became a role model for dedication, integrity and loyalty.

Brock experienced a major turning point in his life and career at the age of 27-years-old. He had a health concern and made an appointment with his doctor for a checkup. The doctor informed Brock he had testicular cancer and needed immediate surgery.

His family and friends were terrified and overwhelmed, but Brock refused to pause his life.

Today, Brock is married to his girlfriend who stuck by him through his surgery and cancer. When Brock is not assisting families with their real estate needs, he enjoys spending his time with his wife, Courtney, and their three dogs. They have lived all over the valley and currently reside in Chandler, AZ.

He was working on one of the biggest deals of his career and had an inspection the day after his surgery. He had a testicle removed that Monday and the showed up to his client’s inspection the next day. He showed up to the inspection limping quite a bit. His clients had asked if there was anything wrong. He told his clients he had just come from the hospital and out of surgery. His clients were in absolute shock.

Brock confided to his clients how important they were to him and that he wouldn’t allow his personal health challenges to get in the way of helping his clients with their real estate needs. Brock describes how his clients helped him push through, push harder, and fight better.

A few days later, Brock found out his stage three cancer had spread to his abdominal lymph nodes and lungs. His treatment plan was laid out as intense chemo all summer. His family and girlfriend were in disbelief, but Brock wasn’t willing to give up.

He continued to work in 115-degree heat showing homes, helping clients, home inspections, listings, etc.… His dedication to his clients and duty to his career continued to help him push through the turmoil.

His nurses and doctors thought he was insane because he wanted to do treatment early in the morning so he could show houses in the evening. They told him to rest and that there would always be work, but they didn’t realize Brock’s passion and commitment for real estate took his mind off the rigorous treatments. With all odds against him, he did not let one client fall through the cracks.

Brock is also a sports enthusiast, favoring hockey, golf, and football! Together Brock and Courtney appreciate volunteering their time to different charity events. Brock participates in many charity events, silent auctions, and likes to donate some of his commissions towards charities. He is part of a networking group that does a lot of charity work, including OCJ Kids. He also volunteered to coach high school hockey for four years and Brock and Courtney love to travel.

Brock wanted to continue to grow his real estate career. Brock joined West USA Realty’s Scottsdale office in January 2017 and founded The O’Neal Premier Team to help accommodate the growing number of families aspiring to achieve their real estate goals. The O’Neal Premier Team provides top quality service while building personal relationship with its clients that last well beyond the professional objectives.

I recently caught up with Brock to learn more about his personal and professional life. Here is what Brock had to say:

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TELL US HOW YOU GOT INTO THIS CRAZY BUSINESS I studied abroad in Spain when I was in college at ASU in 2008 and spent over 4 months there. We traveled to about ten countries. One of the cities we went to was Amsterdam. I was planning to go into law enforcement, as I had grown up in a police family. When I graduated in 2009, I found out that I was not able to test with Phoenix PD for three years after smoking in Amsterdam, even though it was legal there. During this three-year wait, a local broker asked if I would be interested in real estate. Since this was when the market was primarily short sales, I figured I would give it a shot and get a head start on it before the market rose again. With Jim’s mentoring, I began to grow the business and realized this was meant for me. I have now been in the business 7+ years and love the challenge every day.

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GREW UP? I wanted to be a hockey player or police officer.

WHAT DO YOU DO THESE DAYS TO BURN OFF STEAM, SUCH AS SPORTS AND HOBBIES? I still love to play ice hockey and golf every week. Golf is a great test of the mind and has helped me teach myself to stay calm in everyday life. Hockey is to hang out with the guys and blow off some steam.

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WHAT COLLEGE DID YOU GO TO? I went to Arizona State University from 2005 to 2009 (when it was the #1 party school in the nation).

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND UPBRINGING. I couldn’t ask for better families to grow up in. My dad (Jim) was an undercover cop and my mom (Kathy) was a 911 operator, so there was never a dull moment. My dad is very outgoing and a straight shooter. My mom is the kindhearted type that will do everything for everyone. I definitely got a little from each of these personalities, which has made me the person I am today. Since my mom and dad worked nights a lot, I would stay at my babysitter’s house most nights. They are definitely family to me, and to this day, I still call them “Mom, Dad, etc.” Their son, Mikey, is the one I grew up with and he taught me to play hockey and taught me how to be competitive and tough. He used to tie me to the net and shoot tennis balls at me. To this day, I am still very competitive due to him. My parents got divorced when I was 8-years-old, but both remarried other police officers a few years later. I could not have asked for better people for my parents to remarry. My mom married Joe and my dad married Lisa. They were two completely different personalities, but also had a part in making me who I am today. I was very fortunate growing up as I played travel hockey and got to see parts of the world most people will never see. My parents taught me how to work hard, hold my self-accountable, give back, and treat people with respect. I have been married to Courtney O’Neal since February 2016.

I couldn’t have over achieved anymore. She is a hard-working woman who is beautiful and a great cook. We travel the world together and are both in the real estate industry.

WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT? Even though there are definitely good and bad days, I am definitely passionate about my career. My wife hates it sometimes and I really have to focus on taking time off because there are times where I feel like an addict with closing houses. I am definitely passionate about hockey, watching football, and animals.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I am very fortunate to be in the position I am where I get to help professional athletes, business owners, etc. find homes, but there is nothing better than helping first time home buyers. Although they can be the most work and most challenging, giving them the keys and seeing them accomplish life goals gets me fired up every time. I also like that every day is different and you never know who you will meet on any given day.

HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED TO BECOME SO SUCCESSFUL IN THIS COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY? There are multiple ways to become successful in this industry, but I think the three main reasons I am successful are hard work, communication, and most importantly, gaining people’s trust by building a relationship. My client’s know I will always do what is best for them.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEYS TO YOUR SUCCESS? Social media is big for me. Also, treating clients as though they are my only clients and trying to be available at all times.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAMS? Arizona Coyotes, Arizona Cardinals, ASU Sun Devils are who I follow most.

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WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS? I put myself in front of people as much as I can instead of being at a computer all day. I know that I am a lot more likely to get business once people get to know me for me.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE REASONS YOU CHOOSE WEST USA REALTY? There are many reasons I chose West USA Realty. First, it offers many opportunities to grow my business through technology, training, and learning from other top producers within the company. Second, is its family feel. I have worked for larger companies where you just feel like a pawn on the chess board, but West USA goes above and beyond to show appreciation for clients, co-workers, and vendors. There is a lot of support between agents and management. The third thing that drove me to West USA was West USA Cares. I am a big believer in giving back to the community. West USA Cares gives me the resources to give back myself and get other agents to give back to charities of their choice.

IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ANYONE….WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? My grandma. We used to go to Peter Piper Pizza when I was a kid, and I’ll never forget that. She was a great person.

WHEN CONSUMERS ARE INTERVIEWING FOR A REAL ESTATE AGENT, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR? Questions they should be asking? Is this someone just looking for a paycheck or do they actually have your best interests in mind? How well do they know the area? Are they part time or full time, because there is a huge difference?

Being honest and giving realistic expectations is key.

IF YOU WERE TO GIVE A WORD OF ADVICE TO A BRAND NEW AGENT WANTING TO SUCCEED IN THIS BUSINESS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Find your niche. Some are good at farming, some are good at relationships, and some are good at social events.

Everyone is different, but there are multiple ways to succeed. Do what is fun and works best for you.

TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR 2016 PRODUCTION NUMBERS – PERSONAL, TEAM, ETC… I believe I made around 35 sales last year and finished in the top 2% of all Arizona Realtors. I think it was around $10 to $12M in sales volume. I am on pace to double my production this year.

HOW DID YOU START WORKING WITH PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES AND IN THE LUXURY MARKET? My dad Jim O’Neal (also on O’Neal Premier Team) has worked for the NHL for 20+ years, so I have been around the hockey team most of my life. We have built many connections over the years, which has helped.

WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR BUYERS TO SAY AT THE END OF A CLOSING? “I didn’t realize how easy home buying/selling could be” or “thank you for making me feel like your only client.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS BUILDING LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR CLIENTS TO YOU? Relationships are everything to me. With so many agents these days, staying in front of my clients and having great relationships continues to help me grow my business and reputation..

HOW DID YOUR BOUT WITH CANCER IMPACT YOUR OUTLOOK ON LIFE AND YOUR BUSINESS? It made me realize how lucky I am to be where I am in life. No matter how bad the news was, I always told myself that things could be worse and that I should be thankful for what I have and who I have. After doing chemo 6 to 8 hours each day, I would go show houses because it was what I liked doing. There is no way cancer was going to get in the way of me reaching my goals. My clients saw how determined and dedicated I was to my career when I showed up to a home inspection the day after getting a nut taken out. It hurt like hell and I limped, but their inspection was important to me. I always like being there for my clients and this was no exception. Maybe it’s the hockey in me, but it’s going to take more than cancer to keep me from enjoying life. I’ve also learned that small battles in life should not bring you down. More importantly, you never know how many people support you and believe in you until you go through something like that. It is a big reason I chose West USA because I wanted to give back to people. West USA Cares provides me the opportunity to help others in need.

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Mortgage Loan Officer | NMLS 858223 | AZ Lic 0923908 Direct: 480.407.2585 | Mobile: 480.295.9050 | Fax: 480.750.6376 bryanj@amerifirst.us | www.BryanJohnsonLendingTEAM.com AmeriFirst Financial, Inc. | NMLS 145368 | AZBK 0013635 • 275 E. Rivulon Boulevard, Suite 300, Gilbert, AZ 85297

AmeriFirst Financial, Inc., 1550 E. McKellips Road, Suite 117, Mesa, AZ 85203 (NMLS # 145368). 1-877-276-1974. Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved. This is not an offer to enter into an agreement. Not all customers will qualify. Information, rates, and programs are subject to change without prior notice. All products are subject to credit and property approval. Not all products are available in all states or for all loan amounts. Other restrictions and limitations apply. AZ: Arizona Mortgage Banker License No. BK0013635; CA: Licensed by The Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; CO: Regulated by the Division of Real Estate; WA: Washington Consumer Loan Company License No. CL-145368.

AmeriFirst Financial, Inc. is an independent mortgage lender and is not affiliated with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

A LMA S CHOOL & F ULTON R ANCH B LVD . | S ER ENITY F ULTO N R ANCH . CO M | 602.682.4500 Sales by Cambridge Properties, Inc. Keith Mishkin, Broker. This material is not an offer to sell real property and shall not be construed as such in violation of the law of any jurisdiction. Obtain all relevant documents, disclaimers, and covenants, and read them before signing anything. All brokers welcome.

4 USES FOR LIFE INSURANCE YOU PROBABLY NEVER THOUGHT OF: We all know the drill about death and taxes. For the first, there’s life insurance. But it may surprise some to know that a life policy can also be a solution for the latter.

For those who plan ahead, life insurance can not only reduce taxes, but can be used to salve a host of other financial headaches.

Most of us take out our first life policy when we become parents or homeowners: our first term policy is usually an emergency cord that our survivors can pull in case a breadwinner dies unexpectedly. But some of the most interesting uses of life insurance can come when the kids are out and the house is paid off.

“People tend to see life insurance as a cost you have to have,” said Cullen Crabbe, CEO of CWC Insurance Group. “But it has multiple functions.”

Those functions can include replacing money you have lost to taxes or donated to charity, maximizing your pension or Social Security benefits, even funding college for the kids and grandkids.

With the approach of the “fiscal cliff,” these non-traditional uses for life insurance have been gaining in popularity.

Some of these alternative applications can look tricky to the layperson, but they still rely on life insurance’s basic purpose: replacing a stream of income, or providing heirs with liquidity when they need it most. But instead of replacing a young parent’s salary, the policy replaces the value of an asset, like a home, a business or even another pile of cash.

FUNDING A BEQUEST Cullen Crabbe gives the example of a couple whose Gilbert house, worth $600,000 constitutes half of their wealth. Their two sons don’t care about the place, but their daughter has made vacations there a centerpiece of her family’s life.

“They can’t give the home to Sally and have an equivalent amount to other kids,” said Crabbe. “So they go out and get life insurance policy for the value of the home. At death of the surviving spouse, the kids still have the house, they have the $600k in savings, and they have the life insurance payout.”

The key to this strategy was using a life insurance policy to effectively turn the house into a liquid asset. “Life insurance is a form of investment that provides liquidity to an estate, period,” said Iestyn Dulais with Liberty Mutual.

Once you start thinking of insurance as a cash stand-in for assets, it’s easy to see other ways to apply life policies to problems of liquidity — the lack of which is often the Achilles heel in affluent families’ planning. Most people connect liquidity with whole life, which builds up cash value that the insured can borrow against. But even term policies can provide liquidity on death. The head of a family business can insure himself to be able to distribute the worth of the business to his children who don’t join the company. Business partners can take insurance policies that will allow one partners’ heirs to, in effect, buy themselves out of their half the business.

More complex strategies include pairing a life insurance policy with an instrument like a charitable remainder trust, which allows investors to donate an asset to a charitable cause while drawing the income that the asset gives off.

With some of that income, the investor buys a life insurance policy to restore to his or her heirs the amount the charity receives, preserving both the tax deduction and the wealth.

Most financial planners recommend putting the life insurance policy in trust, a legal form that allows you to leave instructions as to how the payout is used.

PENSION MAXIMIZATION Life insurance strategies are not for the wealthy alone. Many who expected to leave their children an inheritance before the 2008 downturn, for instance, are using the resources themselves. If a couple who take a reverse mortgage can dedicate a portion of the monthly payment to a life policy, however, they can preserve the value of the home for their heirs and still have a roof over their heads.

A well-funded whole life policy can also be used to pay college costs if you haven’t saved enough in a 529 or other college fund. Though fees and administrative costs make whole life an inefficient way to save for college, a whole-life loan does have the added benefit that federal financial aid programs don’t count life insurance money when reckoning how much you can afford to pay.

Similarly, life insurance can cover a financial shortfall in retirement income. A couple recently came to Crabbe with a predicament. The husband’s pension, which made up a healthy portion of their retirement plan, would stop on his death, leaving his wife with little to live on. The answer Crabbe offered was life insurance — not inexpensive at that juncture in the couple’s lives, but better than the alternative.

A smarter plan is to decide the details of your pension or Social Security benefit with a life insurance policy in mind. Knowing that your spouse will get an insurance payment on your death frees you up to maximize your benefit — but the earlier you act, the better.

COLLEGE COSTS

WEALTH REPLACEMENT

There are even some unconventional uses of life insurance that mimic its most conventional purpose: to make sure bills are paid no matter what happens to you. An older couple who want to contribute to their grandchildren’s college costs can merely take advantage of the annual tax-free gift of $13,500 to each child. But if they are worried they won’t live to complete their program, they can insure themselves for the total amount, and find peace knowing their wishes will be carried out whether they write the last check themselves or leave it to their children.

Life insurance can also be used for what planners call “wealth replacement.” In its simplest form, successful investors can pay for a policy that will cover the estate taxes on their holdings. This prevents his or her survivors from having to busy themselves selling investments while they are grieving — or when selling is disadvantageous — in order to satisfy the taxman.

Life insurance solves so many riddles of financial planning that many insurance brokers, especially the growing number credentialed as financial planners, are thinking of insurance as a way to balance investment risk, not just risk to life and limb. “When you have all your vulnerabilities covered,” said Iestyn, “you can invest in a different way.”

“Be Humble. Be Hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room”

An Interview with

BRYAN JOHNSON

MORTGAGE BANKER & TRUSTED ADVISOR

“Be the type of person that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says, “Oh shit, they’re up.”

How have you managed to become so successful in this competitive industry?

Relationships not transactions. I focus on my relationship with each individual. I have seen too many loan officers neglect relationships because they are “too busy”.

I make it a point to spend quality time with my partners each day, week and month.

Communication is very important. I have found that by simply returning phone calls in a timely manner, I am doing better than most.

“Talent is only a head start you can always out work them!”

What are some of the keys do your success?

Experience. I have been a Mortgage Loan Originator for 14 years so there really aren’t too many scenarios that I haven’t seen.

I invest in my business. I read. I go to industry events and training. I keep my saw sharpened. I made a commitment to be better. I always out work my competition

“Grind while they sleep, learn while they party, live like they dream?

Tell us how you got in to this crazy business?

As a young adult, our family owned a luxury car rental company and I worked my way up from washing cars to a management role while still a teenager. A former colleague of mine got into the mortgage business and kept bragging to me about his success and how much money he was making. Needless to say, I was intrigued. My first job began soon after that at a brokerage firm, renting an office for $1900/mo. I had zero business, zero training, zero referral sources and a huge nut to cover. I went to all the top producers in the business and asked them what they did. Most of them wouldn’t give me the time of day. The few that did help me didn’t tell me much. I basically just hustled as much as I could and learned as I went.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?

As a young boy, I was sure I was going to be a professional athlete. I spent one summer playing on a competitive, traveling basketball team, while my buddies enjoyed the pool and sleeping in. I remember guarding Miles Simon, who went on to play at U of A and won the National Championship and was the Most Outstanding Player on the Tour. He scored 35 points against me, in the first half!

I couldn’t get a 3 point shot off as he blocked everything I put up. I realized then that at 5’10, and without much of a vertical jump that my basketball career would be short lived.

What sports did you play as a kid?

Everything! Basketball, baseball, football.

What do you do these days to burn off steam? Sports…hobbies?

I burn of steam in the weight room these days. Lifting heavy weights has become my best therapy. I like to golf but I am horrible. I enjoy it much more now that I stopped keeping score. Camelback in Scottsdale is my “home” course, but I enjoy most courses in the Phoenix area.

What college did you go to?

I am a Scottsdale Community College Artichoke. I think I signed up for a couple classes at ASU but don’t recall actually going to any classes. At 19 years old I was a Regional Sales Manager with over 200 employees. I drove a Ferrari and just purchased my first home. College wasn’t much of a priority. When I did go to class I ended up arguing with the professors about their management

philosophies and theories compared to my real life experiences. I really wasn’t cut out for classroom learning.

Tell us about your family I have two awesome Kiddo’s! My daughter Brianna is turning 18 in December and is a High School Senior. She is applying for Veterinarian schools. Looking at cost of tuition these days….I need to close some more loans so I can send my girl to school J My son, Dakota, is a high school Sophomore and is starting Center for his high school team. He just turned 15 last month.

What are you passionate about?

I am super passionate about my business. I have huge goals and focus on them daily to stay motivated.

I am also passionate about some of my weight lifting goals. Those goals are a moving target and the more I achieve, the more motivated I become in reaching them. Recent injuries have sidetracked my progress but I keep pushing, as in all aspects of my life.

“You have to be ruthless on your way to the top” What is your favorite part about what you do?

What I love most about my job is that I really have the ability to work with who I want to. Nobody is telling me that I have to work with this person or that person.

I get to work with a lot of my friends on many of my transactions. My goal is to work with just 20 referral partners and have a solid business relationship with all of them. I really enjoy working with Real Estate agents helping their buyers realize the American dream of homeownership, however another passion is working with Financial Planners in helping family manage their liquidity, equity, cash flow and maximize tax deductions. Helping my clients integrate the home loan they select into an overall financial plan is really very reward to me.

“Be Picky who you invest your time in.

Wasted time is worse than wasted money”

Are they any quotes that you live by? Any authors that you enjoy reading and have helped your business?

The Compound Effect and 7 Levels of Communication are my “go-to” books and I can especially relate to quotes by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and of course, the one and only, Ricky Bobby!

“The worst thing I could be, is the same as everybody else. I’d hate that.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger “I wake up every morning and I piss excellence.”

Ricky Bobby What are your favorite sports teams?

I love college and professional football including the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. Basketball, of course, the Phoenix Suns. Baseball is great for Spring training games. I recently turned into a big time SEC football fan, especially the Tennessee Vols #GBO! I’m planning on taking a couple trips to the south this football season.

When consumers are shopping for a mortgage what are some things they should be looking for? Questions they should be asking?

It’s crazy how most people don’t have a clue what questions to ask. Realtors need to ask better questions to their mortgage partners as well. The very first question to ask it “What are mortgage rates based off of”? If the answer is the T-bill, prime or IDK, then you need to run! If you lender isn’t watching the right indicators then they don’t have a clue. The only correct answer is mortgage backed securities. “What is the next economic report that may affect interest rates”? If they can’t answer that within 10 seconds, they are not an expert. Go with a lender that knows that is going on in the market and can add valuable advice to their commodity product.

“My mission is to deliver an honest, well-communicated, knowledge-based lending experience.”

Bryan can be reached at 970-412-8858 • www.BryanJohnsonLendingTeam.com

“Talent is only a head start you can always out work them!”

SPOTLIGHT ON LOCAL HEALTH BUSINESS SOME OF THE WELLNESS SERVICES AND MODALITIES INCLUDE: demands or created by conscious individuals, are providing and producing products that are sustainable and

YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR TOTAL WELLBEING

n Detoxification n IV (Intravenous) Therapy

environmentally friendly. Our goal is to

n Chelation Therapy

create awareness. We can’t force change,

n Low Metabolism Treatment (Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome Treatment)

we can just give guidance.”

n Whole Body Cryotherapy/Local Cryotherapy/Facial Cryotherapy Illumina Health is a supportive place to

n PEMF (Pulse Electro Magnetic Field Therapy)

Today’s fast paced, work obsessed

do the job of detoxification; Illumina

is always kept in mind even if it means

society takes pride in having a “go-go-

enhances the body’s ability to attain and

denying a specific requested treatment

the body into a healing mode. The name

go” mentality; while this may appear to

remain healthy by guiding patients in

and discussing why it may not be in their

“Illumina” is a Latin word which means

be great for the economy, maintaining

providing the body with what it needs

best interest. In the case of high levels of

to illuminate. “To assist the client to find

n Diagnostic Testing

this pace for prolonged periods is

while removing offending agents and

toxicity or specific contraindications, the

their healthy shine from within” is the

n EWOT (Exercise w/ Oxygen Therapy)

exacting a significant toll on individual’s

obstacles through a variety of synergistic

client may need to do some form of an

ultimate goal for Angelo Alvarez.

health. After extended exposure to high

healing modalities combined with

initial mild, ramp-up cleanse. “Whenever

stress, combined with consuming low

lifestyle coaching.

clients come in, an assessment is made

n Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy for women and men (testosterone therapy)

“We use our services and modalities to

to determine if they’re a good fit for the

help jumpstart the body yet not become

n Thyroid Hormone Therapy

type of treatments Illumina Health offers.”

dependent upon them,” says Alvarez.

nutrient over-processed foods, the body

disconnect, reset, recharge, and ignite

n PEMF Guided n PEMF with Massage Therapy

n Peptide Therapy

eventually becomes sluggish, weak,

President and Founder Angelo Alvarez

and toxic. As a result, fatigue and brain

and his team welcome each new client

fog set in, sleep quality diminishes,

with a complementary consultation which

The goal at Illumina Health is to

self-heal.” At Illumina Health, you are

n Chiropractic Adjustment

and organ systems fail to operate at

determines the appropriate protocol and

assist clients in detoxification, create

surrounding yourself with expertise.

n Graston Technique

optimal levels, setting the body up for a

type of program necessary to achieve the

awareness, and help develop healthy

If there are any services that Illumina

sudden crash. The ideal solution for this

desired goal. The program is designed

long-term habits, i.e. a healthy lifestyle.

n TMJD Treatment

is not able to provide the client, the

perfect storm can be found at Illumina

with the flexibility to address the needs

“One of the ways we can demand

client will be referred to their outsource

n Weight Loss

Health Scottsdale’s specifically designed

of each individual, from those who have

better for ourselves is by taking a stand

team. In this way the client can get the

complete destination for total wellbeing.

years of built up toxicity, to the health

and refusing to spend our dollars on

appropriate treatment to holistically go

conscious individual who wishes to do a

companies whose bottom line is not our

to the next level. In order to experience

n Massage Therapy

jump-start.

health. We can’t continue buying poor

a true and lasting result, a person needs

n Leg and Body Compression

foods…meats and products that are not

Illumina Health is a leading edge health and wellness clinic designed to support

“We want the body to self-charge and

n Colon Hydrotherapy

n Injections and Boosters n Photon Genius Infrared Heat Therapy

to gradually commit to a lifestyle change.

n ART (Active Release Technique)

and enhance the body’s inherent ability

What truly sets Illumina Health apart

sustainable. The world is becoming more

The ultimate health goal is to maintain

to heal and experience wellbeing. In

from other wellness clinics is its high

conscious and involved. We now have

independent living and a full life letting

n Shockwave Therapy

a healthy state, the body can naturally

level of integrity. The client’s best interest

ethical companies that, due to people’s

the body retire as naturally as possible.

n ION Foot Bath

In the complementary initial assessment,

WELLNESS PROGRAMS INCLUDE:

medically supervised detox programs

n Detox

are tailored to the individual. Illumina Health is the ONLY clinic in Scottsdale

n Anti-Aging

that offers such a complete spectrum of

n Wellness

wellness modalities in one location. For

n Performance

your wellness needs, Illumina Health

n Weight Loss

has a staff comprised of a Naturopathic

n Pain Management

Medical Doctor, a Doctor of Chiropractic, colon hydrotherapist, massage therapists, and a wellness and nutrition expert.

To schedule your complimentary assessment please visit www.illuminahealth.com or call

480-447-3131

by Sherrie Carnicle

T H E C A P I TA L G R I L L E I N V I T E S Y O U

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We sat down with Charles DeLong, an alcohol and substance abuse counselor and Realtor in the state of Arizona to discuss the negative impact and inherent risk of alcohol consumption in the Real Estate profession.

two drinks holds low risk of negative repercussions. I believe this assumption is due to the lack of education surrounding the strict alcohol and driving laws present in Arizona.

Q: How often do you see concerning behaviors as a result of the presence of alcohol in Real Estate?

A: It is a common misconception that people who are arrested for DUI’s are alcoholics or individuals who have a tendency to binge drink regularly. The truth is, business professionals receive DUI’s at the same level of frequency leaving social events such as work conferences, charities outings, and business meetings. These types of social gatherings in the business place present the same level of risk in the real estate profession.

Q: What are the details governing DUI law in Arizona?

A: Arizona is a zero-tolerance state. Zero-tolerance means that an individual can receive a DUI with a blood alcohol concentration level less than .08. Many people do not know that they can receive a DUI in Arizona, even if they have only one alcoholic drink. Along with the zero-tolerance law, there are different types of DUI’s depending on the severity, including slightest degree (.08 and below), Standard (.08-.149), Extreme (.15-.199), and Super Extreme (.2 and above). Each type of DUI holds different resulting fine amounts, but all severities can lead to substantial jail time.

Q: How prevalent are DUI’s in Arizona?

A: Drinking and driving is a growing issue nationwide.

Arizona has a strong reputation as one of the most stringent states upholding the laws governing drinking and driving. In 2016 alone, there were a reported 23,000 DUI arrests in Arizona.

Q: What concerns do you have regarding the impact of DUI’s in the Real Estate profession?

A: An integral part of success within the real estate profession involves effective networking. Most networking events involve alcohol to an extent with some open houses even serving alcohol to enhance the buyer experience. What is concerning to me is the overwhelming acceptance amongst real estate professionals that getting behind the wheel after one or

Q: What is the average cost to a guilty DUI offender?

A: The average amount a DUI offender will spend in attorney fees and related fines alone is between $8,000 and $10,000. Not to mention the negative impact passed down from the board of Real Estate.

Q: What do you think we can do as an industry to help prevent more Realtors from getting DUI’s?

A: Planning, awareness and education. I believe if most agents were properly educated on the potential cost, immense risk and extent of the potential punishment they would think twice before getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. I have witnessed agents lose their license and businesses they have worked tirelessly to build because they were caught driving under the influence. This issue is an important matter to continue to discuss and bring awareness not only for Real estate agents but for Arizona residents alike.

Relationship Building Creates Homeowner Success If You’re Thinking Of Selling Your Home

So what should you do?

Roy Charles Thornton II

“The biggest thing for homeowners by far is to clearly define what you want and what

Ask any leading real estate professional “what does it take to succeed in selling a home”,

not let your personal life stand in the way of way of you getting top dollar by making your

you’re looking for”, says Banovac. “There’s immense power in clarity and proactivity, do relationships an afterthought. For instance, I have had clients and colleagues’ clients relay

and you’ll hear a variety of answers: networking, advertising, farming an area... But

to me that they were in the midst of a divorce. That one statement alone can cause your

according to a revealing analysis by The Guardian, a major cause of selling success--or failure--is the health of our love lives.

agreed upon sales price to drop anywhere from 3-9% based on our internal calculations.”

Of the 4,000 person study cited by The Guardian, the results show clearly that upwards

That being said, when selling your home the important thing is a keeps a constant flow of “relationship prospects” and/or people with the means and desire to purchase.

of 16% of employees took extended time away from the office due to relationship woes.

Unequivocally you must choose the right sales professional to help market your home, but

And 1 in 3 employees felt that their employers were not understanding or accommodating

more importantly, you must proactively do everything in your power to sell quickly as the

during this time. The study also pointed out that British authorities determined the cost

longer your home stays on the market the more often you’ll receive a lower sales price.

of family breakdown to be about $62 billion USD and a substantial portion of that was monies lost when people in dissolving relationships had to sell their home.

Doing that, Banovac says, “You wouldn’t put all your hopes in one person to buy your home, would you? Don’t obsess over one person, and instead go out and meet as many

“If you look at the research, the cost to the economy of broken romantic relationships is

people as you can in concordance with your agent to bring the right buyer!” This will

literally tens of billions of dollars per year” says Michael Banovac, a developer in Paradise

exponentially increase the success of your overall sales price and add a myriad of business

Valley and North Scottsdale and president of Millionaire Date Doctor. Banovac is one of

contacts leading to some of those lost billions landing back in your pocket.

the leading dating and relationship experts for successful entrepreneurs. “I’ve seen it time and time again amongst my clients and real estate homeowners: when we’re unsuccessful in our personal relationships, the success of our home sale suffers as well.”

?

? $

$ $

$

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Banovac’s book How To Be Irresistible To Men: The Truth Behind Sex, Style, & Seduction, which promises to be the leading guide for successful women looking to find and keep the man of their dreams, will be released to the public on Friday, November 3rd, 2017, at the Care Fund Singles Auction & Ford/Robert Black Fashion Show at the Scottsdale Grand Prix. The book is currently available for pre-order at millionairedatedoctor.com as either a signed hardback or eBook.

East Va lle y

Helping you find a home you LOVE!

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Financial strength, advanced technology, and phenomenal client service are why excellence is a habit at Chicago Title. Our team is dedicated to training, development and innovative thinking, making us a leader in today’s real estate industry

Tri-City East 1400 E Southern Ave. #910 480-874-7035

Gilbert 1959 S. Val Vista Rd. #115 (480) 539-6854

Brian Peitz

VP / Residential Sales Manager 602.481.0243 Brian.Peitz@ctt.com

AVP / Senior Sales Executive 602.686.3083 Anna.Everts@ctt.com

Becky Erickson

AVP/ Senior Sales Executive 602.339.6001 Becky.Erickson@ctt.com

REALTORÂŽ

Jill Bright

AVP / Sernior Sales Executive 602.525.0790 BrightJ@ctt.com

Mesa 1959 S. Val Vista Rd. #115 (480) 481-2272 Val Vista Lakes 1959 S. Val Vista Rd. #115 (480) 539-6854

Anna Everts

MELANIE WHITE

Chandler 2121 W. Chandler Blvd. #200 (480) 899-0201

Holly Stidham Wilson

AVP / Business Development Manager

480.703.8087 Holly.Wilson@ctt.com

Shawna Hovis-Mayer

AVP / Business Development Manager

480.294.4194 Shawna.Hovis-Mayer@ctt.com

Zach Monroy

AVP / Business Development Manager

623.242.4624 Zach.Monroy@ctt.com

Lindsey Sanchez

AVP / Marketing & Digital Specialist

602.667.1133 Lindsey.Sanchez@ctt.com

480.200.3201 MelanieAZ.com

Kelli Gonzales

AVP / Business Development Manager

480.287.7798 Kelli.Gonzalez@ctt.com

Crystle Mulzet

AVP / Business Development Manager

602.318.7142 Crystle.Mulzet@ctt.com

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C en t ral Pho e nix

We st Va lle y Northwest 2730 W. Agua Fria Pkwy. #203 (623) 434-9205 Arrowhead 14050 N. 83rd Ave. #260 (623) 824-7660 Peoria 14050 N. 83rd Ave. #260 (623) 824-7660 Glendale 14050 N. 83rd Ave. #260 (480) 998-9298

D e se rt Rid ge Desert Ridge 20830 N. Tatum Blvd. #399 (480) 483-4078

Sco ttsda le

Central City Corridor 777 E. Missouri Ave. #112 (602) 667-1080

Raintree 8800 East Raintree Dr. #230 (480) 675-4899

24th Street 2390 E. Camelback Rd. #120 (602) 667-1001

Princess 8501 East Princess Dr. #110 (480) 538-1940

Esplanade 2425 E. Camelback Rd. #200 (602) 667-1001

Lincoln 6710 N. Scottsdale Rd. #100B (602) 667-1400

Camelback Biltmore 2390 E. Camelback Rd. #120 (602) 553-4806

Administration 6710 N. Scottsdale Rd. #100 (602) 667-1000