Testimonials
Hundreds of Online Testimonials
This seminar allows me to learn from others' mistakes in a safe and un-intimidating environment so I don't have to make mistakes of my own. Great instructors!
Lindy Sin & Vivian Yuan
Excellent information and presentation! No pressure!
David Betts
Knowledgeable and educated speakers that explained the home buying process exceptionally well.
Pisnu Phodhipradist
Learned tricks of the trade & detailed specific detail.
Aurora Wright
Great class thoroughly covered buying a house from a buyers prospective. Excellent information! A must class for those contemplating buying a house in this market.
Kalani Kamakavivode
Few classes are taught with such passion and enthusiasm for educating potential home buyers
J. Allen Chiddix
I feel ready to proceed now.
Mandi Morse
This class gave with lots of great information that we probably wouldn't have know otherwise. We enjoyed the class a lot.
Sakita Gonsolves
Outstanding! Why did we wait until now to seek out this information?
Shirley Ross & Brennan Jones
I feel this seminar was very informative and well presented.
Steve Lehnert
I liked the openness and honest feel of the presentation
Annette Connelly
I learned that I CAN and WILL buy a home!
Carolyn Hayes
The presentation was very entertaining & very professional.
Angela Daniels
Thank You! Expected more of a scam when you say free, but was very pleasantly surprised!
Jaron K. Bengson
Where else are you going to get such honest and thorough information? Finally somebody is on my side!
Shawn Kumasaka
Excellent Seminar! Very Informative!
Mary Ann Misa
I gained knowledge about home buying that I fell empowers me to make more informed decisions regarding my finances.
Rachel Moxson
This is an excellent overview of the entire home buying process. Instructors were professional & knowledgeable!
Stacey Acker & Stuart Zeigler
Don't wait! We could have been in a house years ago!
Marcus & Rochelle McMahon
Useful & informative presentation well versed instructor.
Brian Croft
Fantastic Seminar! Very informative and easy to understand.
Veronica VanCouwenbergne
A lot more fun than I thought - enthusiastically informative!
Michelle Knowles
This workshop has revolutionized the home buying process for us - we feel empowered & knowledgeable to make a wise purchase & pay a decent price.
Thomas & Marcia Stansberry
Very informative, I have learned a lot!
Martin Smith
I feel this seminar was very helpful in avoiding potential pitfalls for a first time buyer, a good road map.
Rick Larson
Real Estate portion presented in a very informative way, personal insights was informative, entertaining and educational.
Steve McNary
Good information, interesting and entertaining. I wouldn’t have known where to start in the process without this class
Suzanne Powell
I already purchased a home and am getting ready to refinance, and the information will be very helpful when I do.
Tammy Williams
This class opened my eyes to the whole home buying process. The information given in this class allows me to be more prepared for my future home purchase - Thanks.
Carmen Lau
This class take the stress out of trying to do all the research on your own.
Amy Reeves
This course was packed full of information & gave me a jumpstart into buying my first home!
Neil Quisenberry
I learned many different tactics loan officers can use when closing on a home.
Daryl Isip
Very informative, feel 100% more prepared leaving the workshop to buy my first home!
Sam Park
This workshop put me and my wife in the same universe as others who already own their own homes. Hope is always there-.take this seminar!
Michael J. Stribling,
I do not know anyone, either new home buyer or others, that shouldn't go through this class!
Amy Oliver
I learned a lot of good tips about home buying.
Sarah Doss
What a great learn experience - great job.
Michael Nguyen
The worksheets and instructions - well thought out. This class should be required for the first time home buyers!
Tim & Janice Small
A nice presentation that eliminated my fears built on ignorance of the home buying process!
James Cross
I think I get the home buying process now. Thanks!
Brian Grunkemeyer
Class was good for
Marcus Johansson
With the information in this seminar, I now feel more educated on buying a home. I feel I will be able to recognize if I was being taken advantage of!
Shannon Giejda
Very good! I started out knowing nothing and now I feel much more confident! Excellent!
Unknown Author
Very informative and fun! A first for any home buying game plan!
Sean O'Reilly
I thought the class was very informative and is exactly what I was looking for before I purchase my first home.
Jason Fain
Very fast paced & informative. Learned lots even though I've purchased homes before
Susan C. Crawford
This is the best start towards buying your new home! I recommend all new home buyers to this seminar!
Sangata and Anand Dani
I liked the information disclosed about buyers agents and sellers agents. I feel much better now, knowing what I know.
Ryan Pizzuto
I feel more secure in buying a home now, than I did when I didn't have a clue how to get started!
Sythour Leng - Nichols and Ben
Good Stuff!
Lanine Lorn
Attend this seminar right now!
Dudly & Julie Amos
I feel like I know enough to step into the home buyers market!
Bob Renaud
Much clearer explanation of agency distinctions than a previous seminar. Lending presentation was impressive.
Les Moreland
Very helpful, I can now develop a plan of action.
Justin Townsend
Very informative, everyone considering buying should be informed as much as possible & this seminar helped a lot!
Darilyn Doris
I feel much more prepared to buy after taking this.
Richard Goodwin
Instructors made me feel very comfortable - as if I were talking to friends. I feel confident in the home buying process and I know they will be there to help me.
Steve Slaughter
I was surprised at how much mystery was taken out of the process in such a short period of time.
Dana Carlson
I feel more confident in buying a new home.
Pat Harrington
An education that every new home buyer needs!
Kevin Burkett
I thought it was very helpful and informative. The class gave me the tools I needed to make a good informative decision.
Sean Kuhn
Good Job!
L. Sundby
I wish I would have known the 10 Rules before I bought my house. Now I'm informed and I look forward to purchasing my next one!
Jason Innes
Honest, trust worthy, and knowledgeable speakers who gave me the impression they want to help people who are attending these seminars.
Evan Hulse
I am really glad I came. I do feel much more informed than I was. The instructor's style and demeanor professional and pleasant. An excellent seminar.
Victor Burham
Definitely time well spent. A great overview on different aspects of home buying.
Greg Garrity
Learned a lot in the 2? hours Very motivated to start the process of buying a home.
Patrick Mitchell & Erin Carlucci
Would like a counseling session!
Donna Meyers & Toni Figlioli
I enjoyed the seminar and would have my kids attend one.
John Bodda
My brain is full.
Tommy Russ
This seminar really answered a lot of my questions even those I did not know I had.
Dan Lewis
This was an awesome, short to the point course and well worth the time.
Yvonne Jacobo
More informative than we expected.
David & Wendy Lister
We no clue what we were doing and we're asking friends who have all ready made the mistakes revealed to us.
Craig & Theodora Bellinger
It's a great resource for people like us- first time home buyers. After all buying a home is not that horrifying.
Davina Choy
Thanks for the help!
Micheal Beyer
The info I now have is going to help us buy this month or next!
Susan Jansen & Summer Pederson
Excellent and very informative information. Highly recommend if buying a home!
Nolan D. Hingson
Comfortably informed as a new buyer. No pushy sales people! Can't wait for the counseling session.
Jeff Rogerson & Julie Hiler
Much more info than I thought!
Wade Reister
This was one of the best uses of 5 hours out of my life. I am excited & feel educated about the home buying process.
Kelly Bolen
Having known nothing about the buying process, I now feel pretty informed and less apprehensive.
Melissa Butler
I feel much more comfortable about buying a home.
Samantha Swanson
I think the seminar was very informative & has taken a lot of fear out of the home buying experience.
Steve Berkeley
I feel more confident about purchasing our new home.
Gregg Thompson & Danielle Strawn
Very informative. This brings me much closer to my dream of owning my own home.
Mukesh Punhani
Very informative, thank you!
Kevan Pedersen
A must have class for prospective home buyers.
Shawn Grismore
Great class, a good start to get the ball rolling.
Scott Jason
Good information, instructors good, knowledgeable and understandable.
Sun Kim
Lot more information than I had expected.
Kimberly Tweeton
It's Not a sales pitch! Thank you for the information!
Kyle Martin
The best info, with the best price?nothing!
Extreeeemmeeely impressive! It's refreshing to hear guidance from professional individuals.
Michael Nelson
Wowee!!! Talk about brain exercise!
J. Johnson
The session was informative, even for someone who's already bought their first home.
Josh
The instructor was very knowledgeable and I feel that I've learned a lot from the course content.
Ben Ferris
I'm glad I came to the class before starting the buying process. There is so much I didn't know!
Yoanna Thompson
I learned a lot of things I wasn't expecting. I feel a lot more prepared now.
Ben Thompson
This class has a ton of information, great speaker & motivator, it's not a sales gimic like the others.
Robert Speer
I wish we would have taken this class long before I started looking for a house.
Sarah Shultis
The class was very informative. It really helped me to make up my mind, and not to wait any longer. This class is REALLY the very first stop in many ways on buying a home. Thank You.
Alexandra Speer
This was an excellent class. Take this class, they covered every thing!
Mathew Bailey
A fantastic class! I wish I would have been aware of such a class before buying my 1st house - not only for all the expert, good information; but also, because of the special incentives given to the student in the class.
S. Ribaudo
The class was very enlightening and educational. It made me very excited to go out and buy my first home.
Cathy McDonald
If you're not doing anything on Saturday, go to this seminar.
Dan Weaver
I got a lot of info about finding an agent. Up until now I only had personal ref. from friends. Now I know some key questions to ask.
Michelle Little
Well worth the time!
Steve Johansson
Thank you so much for the presentation. I have gotten so much more information in the past two hours then in all of the other seminars I have gone to combined.
Lan Hoang
I never even knew about the buyers agent. This class has been very informative & I feel more confident going through this whole process.
Anne Carson
I enjoyed the seminar?I feel more confident about buying my First home.
James Tinsley
Wish I would have done this forever ago! Ready to get going now!
Morris Malakoff
I feel I can now independently search homes with a new vision and more confidence with a larger market.
Ray Mullen
We went from ready to renew our lease to ready to buy a home in 3 hours!
Ray & Heidi R.
Before buying a home, become educated - this class is a great way to accomplish this.
Chris Casillas
Very informative! I feel much better prepared to begin looking for a home now then when I walked in this morning. Thanks!
Jennifer Lirhus
Explanation of home buying process is clear, concise and simple.
Adam M. Steinberg
This class is not bias. Covers every thing.
Sam Henrich
Learned to have a plan and steps to buying!
Robert & Charlotte Nelson
Good presentation, very helpful information.
Ken Matthews
Homebuyers seminar was worthwhile and beneficial to me in my search to buy a home.
Mary Burres
A lot of info to cover, helpful visuals, clear presentation; very open / askable presentor. I feel a little more educated and less intimidated by the market. Thanks!
Allen Madrid
Very informative - very quick!
William Garber
I thought the information is or could be very useful and I learned more than I know in the time I've been here already.
M. Goodwin
Good class, very helpful information, would suggest to other perspective buyers.
Excellent information - great presentation and great flow!
Patricia Malakoff
Helpful info. Especially pertaining to the legalities once an offer has been made on a new home. i.e, closing costs, earnest money, inspection etc.
Dan Rickert
Very informational, covered most if not all my initial questions. Professional presentation!
Jeff Parnel
This class has been so far to be very educational and informative.
Martin Banks
I thought you were very informative. I know more now, than when I first walk in. Thank You.
Linda
Great job covering a lot of material. Very professionally done.
Adrian Johnson
Great job covering a lot of material in a such a short amount of time.
K. Johnson
It was very informative and I learned a few things that I would not have thought of when looking for a home. There is a lot to digest, plenty of details and explanations.
Ryan Comazzetto
This class was great. Learning about how a buyer's agent should work for me was extremely valuable.
Christina Burke
Excellent course!
Jennifer Skinner
Knowledge! Learned a lot. Thank You.
Deb Valahn
The information given and the knowledge learned (short cuts, loop holes,etc.) I would pay a fee to learn this.
Reggie Brookes
This class has been a real eye-opener. Sure learnt a lot!
Clayton Morrison
Instructor was very knowledgeable. I read up on buying before coming and the instructor re-inforced what I read and answered even more questions that I had. Excellent. Thank You.
This class was informative!
Twila Elrod
This is very informative class. Helpful information.
Michelle Lynn Meyer
This class has given me great insight on the steps that are needed to buy my first home.
Alexis Duncan
I felt as thou the class was very informative.
Nina Brown
I think this class was great & could be very helpful in the future.
Cory Walker
Informative!
Simon Rhoades
Very Informative!
Jonelle Sharp
I feel more relaxed and safer about my abilities as a prospective home buyer.
Angelica Ferrer
Great way to begin the home buying process!
Chris Stove
I feel better informed.
Lara Niederauer
This seminar is very helpful with taking the mystery out of house purchasing.
Shea & Aaron Afthreth
It was a nice experience!
Nicohli Petersen
Excellent Experience!
Dainis & Laura Svarcs
Don't miss this one!!!
Karen Mordus
Very informative - a must for every homebuyer!
John Thomas
Instructors were real good and the information I got was really great!
Rohit Raina
Feels great! I should be ready to proceed soon.
Roxanne Dalton
Great, relevant information on how to start looking for a home.
Kelly Benson
Well worth the time to come out and get the education.
Don Mordus
Good class!
Kathleen Wright
I am now more interested in home buying!
Allison Shapiro
Much clearer explanation of agency distinctions than a previous seminar. Lending presentation was impressive.
Les Moreland
This was extremely informative and helped make the beginning of the process much less daunting.
Jenna Brown & John Sheetz
I understand the process of buying a home better than I did before.
Ted & Nichole Mittelstadt
The greatest leaning tool is knowing.
Frank Beleno
Good info for first time home buyer.
Giri Chenti
Very good presentation.
Stefan Nagy
Great!
Dan Horan
It was quite helpful as I has no information at all!
Lali Lipartehiani
Good info, more confident now.
Andre Lobo
Great information. Go, go, go? you will learn a lot.
Sarah & Joel Prescod
Very informative. I am not as afraid of home buying then before the seminar.
Mindy McKinnon
Excellent presentation and very informative.
Shaun & Faith Ramirez
I feel that I got a lot of helpful information I will use in the future.
Bill Jordan
Great. Feel more confident!
Ruxandra & Johnny Karabetsos
It was very informative.
Really good information. Honest sounding teachers.
Dennis & Barb Day
It was some good beginners knowledge on how to begin the process.
Chris Titus
This session helped me understand how GFE's can be underestimated so banks can make more money.
Tim Nelson
Very informative
Vince Pontelli
Session was very casual and informative
Sandy Caldwell
I realize I can start the ball rolling on buying a home even though it may take 2 years.
Christine VandeVort
Very informative.
Terry Ross
Very informative, happy I came. I now have a better understanding of how things work.
Craig Dennis
The seminar was very informative.
Jenni Hill
Very informative! I am glad I attended.
Kim & Shamus Mease
This is an excellent and informative process. I definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about the buying process.
Davy Barnum
It was well worth the visit.
John Vela
It was very interesting of watching out for your ways of not making a mistake.
Brenda Bradford
This is a great start to get a new home.
Rose Mitcham
I am more confident in looking and buying a home.
Etha & Barry Jackson
Very informative. Everything I needed to get started.
Carolyn Frisk
Good job.
John Stier
Good information.
Mark Sigyarto
Everybody should come attend this seminar before buying a house.
Agus Saputra
Really good information.
Justin Cawale
I walked away with a much better understanding of the process.
Mark Thompson
I learned what the best days to buy are (Tues/Wed).
Sharon Raine
You can investigate and be informed with this class
Julie Klein
Very informative.
Brian Stork & Dana Gordon
Worth while class. I learned so much. I wish I could have done the class before I bought.
Karen &
I feel more confident in the buying process. Knowledge is power!
Renee Alston
I am more educated now and feel like I can start the home buying process.
Wendy Schulmerich
Knowledgeable, experienced, and a good presentation.
Bill Melcer
Excellent info.
Scott Martin
Easy to follow presentations with helpful presenters who took the time to answer questions and give examples.
Keith Linington
Great!
Michael Gutteridge
The valuable information learned and taught is worth the short time used to learn it.
Tony Lutz & Melinda Smith
It's a great foundation to build on
Donna O'Neil
Very understandable information on the entire process. Great information on options for all situations.
Dianne Marlow
Great opportunity to learn about the home buying process.
Jeremy Richardson
Good overview of buying process.
Christine Mull
This was very good information and presented in a very easily understandable manner.
Daniel & Sabrina Guilliaume
I fell well prepared to locate necessary resources to find the right home.
Robert Halverson
This was absolutely worth the time!
Jared Ream
I thought the instructors were very straightforward and honest and made me fell comfortable.
Cari Busch
It taught me everything I needed to know.
Brandon Winslow
Very informative, I'll recommend to anyone thinking about buying a home.
Chris Peterson
I've been looking for years and talked with many people and there was still a lot I did not know.
Mark Prater
Cleared up some issues I had on money issues.
Steve Hein & Susan Blanchard
Made me excited about the home buying process.
Joe Plakinger
Gave me a good starting point. Now I know what questions to ask.
Wayne Sturgeon
This class puts many fears to rest and lets you focus on what is important.
Jeff Volkman & Andrea Gierlich.
Excellent opportunity to learn the over all home buying process. Nice balance of (micro & macro) Big picture and specifics.
Pete Christianson
Very useful in preparing for the home buying process. Gives you the foundation you need.
Soeun Soun
I was completely uninformed regarding the home buying process, but now I feel more than prepared and can avoid the pitfalls.
Savy Tiv
Provides you with all the information you need to know to begin the home buying process.
LaShanda Richardson
I thought it was very informative for someone like me who is new to all of this.
Tiffany Tedford
Fast paced and informed. I recommend it for anyone who is ready to move now.
Rob Elliot
It showed me what to prepare for and how to take the next steps with confidence.
Luke Preston
Totally demystified the process of purchasing a home.
Jim Carraway
It was great. The informers were very knowledgeable and patient. Time was not an issue.
Henry Spriggs
Just sit and listen. I promise you will learn something new.
Samuel Bess
I feel more secure in buying a home now than I did when I didn't have a clue how to get started.
Sythour Long-Nichols
Attend this seminar right now.
Dudley & Julie Amoss
A lot of good information in a tightly condensed package.
Mike & Sarah Robertson
No matter how far you're into buying, this will help.
Stephanie Tofttey
Great program.
Steve and Vigaya Galic
It was a very informing seminar.
Tina Power
This is a must know for the first time home buyer.
Lilia Lin
Very Informative and eye-opening
Tony Cesario
Absolutely a seminar you need to attend before buying your first home.
Gary & Miriam Acosta
Incredible, so much info.
Christian Carlson
Very informative and interesting.
Christina Chailante
Extremely informative.
Zane Shiras
Very informative. I'm glad I came. Good job.
Carolyn Larremore
I learned a lot and will buy a house.
Luz Cooper
You guys rock. Appreciate you taking the time to educate us.
Frank Beleno
I would recommend the seminar to anyone interested in learning in a low key environment.
Jim Spalding
I came in looking for info and I feel I got more than I can handle!
A very informative and presented seminar.
Brent Caldwell
I walked away feeling like I'm more informed than most buyers and sellers.
Mike Sanders
This seminar gave me the info to start the process which I was afraid of before.
Brandalyn Fox
I feel that I can buy a home soon!
Jennifer Scott
Very informative. I look forward to moving forward from here.
Julie Raschella
A lot of info in a short amount of time. Great!
Gina Hurley
Knowledge is power! I was over whelmed at the thought of buying, but no longer.
Marcia Shepard
I wish we had attended your seminar 3 years ago.
Jason Racey & Akiko Racey
I now feel like I have the tools to successfully buy a home.
Ryan Jaramillo
I very much enjoyed it. I fell more empowered as a buyer and potential home owner.
Ronald Cowdrey
Wonderful seminar led by people I feel I can really trust to what's best for me.
Kate Bouchard
Although home buying is a daunting undertaking, I feel like this seminar has helped level the playing field somewhat.
Christie Watson
I felt I was presented with unbiased honesty through out the seminar.
Tony Ebner
I feel much less hesitant to invest in real estate.
Stephanie Dionee
Before the seminar I know zero about the buying process, now I feel I have a good felling about it.
Bruce King
Not as cheesy as one would think. Lots of good info.
Sherry Glaza
Very informative for anyone afraid to buy a home because they don't know the process or have not done it before.
Sarah Newell
I would pay to attend this. Great one stop class. Everyone should attend.
Basavaraj Nagarahalli
Very informative. Ed and Julie were able to ease my apprehension about home buying.
Jay Naylor
This seminar is a great way to get mentally prepared for buying a home.
Jean & Greg Heier
Learned a lot on what to look for and the steps on how to buy.
Virgie Aragon
Took the fear out of the process- I'm now prepared to find and purchase my new home.
Judi Peterson
Put your mind at ease and take this class.
Dawn & Geremy Heath
Very informative class. Lots of good and useful information. Very motivating class.
Debbie Brown
It makes so much more sense now! I'm not afraid of buying a house now.
Paul & Sara Trowbridge
The seminar was very helpful in helping me understand the process of home buying.
Darcel Desjardins
This seminar really helped me know what pitfalls to avoid when I wanted to buy a home.
Heather Fixler
Very positive. Thank you for the discussion on seller's agents.
Jason Cummings
The seminar was very informative, especially in providing the initial steps to for an overall game plan.
Michael Lockman
This was a comprehensive learning tool that everyone can use.
Matt Long & Christina Griffiths
Absolutely worth my time I feel more educated about the about the home buying process and more empowered as well.
Christopher and Christina Wall
It was a good learning process. I do not easily trust people. I feel I can trust the instructors and the information they have given me. This was good.
Prashant Rajpal
When I completed grad school at UCLA in 2004, I landed a job in Seattle. Naturally, I moved into an apartment. After all, I’d been renting all through school, and that’s what people in their 20’s do. Besides, I had a few debts and nothing – zero, zip, nada – saved up for a down payment.
The company I was working for had a great retirement and savings program, so once I got settled in, I met with a financial advisor to help me plan my finances and investments. My “financial advisor” reinforced what I already believed: that I needed about 20% down payment to get a mortgage on a house. We set up a savings program to reach this amount in three to four years, based on current house prices. Unfortunately, he didn’t educate me on other options or suggest other professionals… so I kept on paying rent and put everything I could towards my student loans and car note.
By December, I had paid off everything but my car loan. Then in January, I saw an ad on TV for your First Time Home Buyers’ Seminar and decided to check it out. I wasn’t even sure what I would be learning about, since I didn’t really know what all was involved in buying a house. Those 4 hours changed my plans and my life. As a direct result of what I learned in your seminar, I decided to accelerate my plans and go ahead and get my own place NOW, instead of waiting around and spending years paying rent. I was locked into my apartment lease until August, so I set my sights on finding, buying, closing and moving in by then.
Using what I learned I found a good agent to work with me. I got listings every day or so, and drove around to see the ones that interested me most. Like you told me, it didn’t take too many to decide what I wanted in a house, and to learn what was “good deal” in each neighborhood. I started looking aggressively, and by the end of June found my house. After that it all happened pretty fast. There were some scary moments, some thrilling ones and in the end, a very satisfying sense that I DID IT!
Your seminar did a great job helping me understand what was needed at every step of process. I really appreciated the fact that you didn’t just tell me what to do or to what decisions to make… you actually educated me so I could make the best decisions for myself, and gave me the knowledge and tools to do so! More than anything else, when I finished the seminar I felt confident that I COULD buy a house… that I was knowledgeable and wouldn’t be swayed or taken advantage of.
I bought in a sellers’ market, so I didn’t have a lot of leverage, but you showed me strategies that work even in a hot market! The house had already been on the market and had an offer accepted, but the financing fell through. That night, using your strategies, I made offer that expired at 9 p.m. Because of your seminar, I was confident with my offer, and in the end I actually got my house for less than they had sold it for previously. My monthly cash outlay is less than when I was renting, and I look at my mortgage payments as a giant savings account, not rent. I’m building equity in my property, and without your course, I’d still be paying rent to build equity in someone else’s property!
I found out the old saying is true: “You don’t know what you don’t know!” In my case, I didn’t even know what to ask or who to ask. I learned financial advisors may be good at insurance and mutual funds, but you need someone who understands real estate when you want to buy a house.
If I had not taken your seminar, I’d STILL be paying rent! Like many of my friends, I simply DID NOT KNOW I could buy a house NOW instead of three years from now! Yes, buying a house is a complicated decision, with lots of complex options. But thanks to you, I now have the CONFIDENCE that I can walk through buying a house, and do it on my own! I’ve told all my friends to take the class!
I’ve only been in my house for two weeks, but it already feels like home! Sometimes I just pull up in my driveway and sit there, admiring at MY place! I’m already thinking about buying some other properties for investment, too. I’ll live here 3-5 years and rent it out. It’s a plan that can create ongoing security and income for years to come.
Thank you so much!
--Jon Canan
When I met Jenn at the University of Wisconsin, I already knew that as soon as we graduated, I wanted us to get a house. I had been raised around real estate investors, and my folks had moved several times while I was growing up. As a kid I remember sitting in the room with them, bored while they signed the papers on yet another house. It was like second nature to me to hate renting, but I realized I really didn’t know much about the actual homebuying process.
Jenn, on the other hand, had lived in the same house her whole life, right up to the time she went to college. She had a lot of anxious feelings about buying a house. After all, our first priority was to pay off all our accumulated debts. This would mean taking on the biggest debt of our lives! She liked the idea, but the thought of it all, the unknown, made her real concerned and uncertain about it all.
A couple of months after I graduated, Jenn found an ad for your First Time Home Buyer’s Seminar. We both thought it would be worthwhile, so we signed up.
Even with my knowledge of real estate, I would have taken the course myself, even without Jenn. Most of what I knew was about choosing good property as an investment, never the actual buying procedures involved. I was excited and ready to learn. I expected to get a basic working knowledge of buying, but I did not expect the broadness of the course, especially things to look out for. A lot of these I hadn’t thought of… and as it turned out, they were really needed in our home buying experience later.
One of the most valuable things you drove home was to never get emotionally—attached to a particular house. This was a big help to both of us. It’s one thing to dream about a place of your own. Falling in love with one particular place can lead to bad decisions. We saw people make this mistake on some of the houses we looked at, and get in bidding wars where they ended up paying $50,000 or more, OVER the asking price!
You also surprised me with all of the financial portions of the process. These lessons, too, came in handy in our deal! We had gotten all of our debts but our student loans paid off, and “Hey, we’re going into the biggest debt of our lives!” This created a LOT of anxiety! Your in depth financial talk helped us understand payments and loan amortization, and how it all worked. This eased our fears a lot.
All in all I felt like I got a beginning-to-end training on the biggest financial decision and process of my life! Your seminar gave me a good working knowledge of entire process, and exposed me to lot of things that I would later encounter, so I knew how to handle these “surprises.”
Using what we learned, we chose a good Realtor to work with us. We looked at a lot of houses before finding the one we bought about four months later.
We had wanted a house that needed some remodeling work, not a real fixer-upper but one that was a little worn, so we could get a good price. This one fit the bill perfectly. Little did we know the man that owned it had had a LOT of legal troubles. There were so many liens and lawsuits, at one point the bank didn’t think he had enough equity to cover them all (this would have meant he couldn’t even sell the house, because creditors had claimed so much of the value). I didn’t even consider the possibility of difficulties like this when I was thinking about buying a house, until I took your seminar. Like they say, “You don’t know what you don’t know!” You explained liens, judgments and all the other financial obstacles in a clear, easy-to-understand format, so I felt confident talking with my lender and my broker about them.
Fortunately, in the end, there was enough value in the house, but the seller probably didn’t get any of the money from the sale! (it all went to his creditors).
Then, out of the blue, the lender found all sorts of financial stuff under my name in the credit bureau. There were pages of accounts with charges and liens against other people with same name. Because of your seminar, I realized this was probably because of how common my name is. I knew the steps to take, and worked with my lender to clear up this issue. If not for what I had learned in the time I spent with you, I would have felt like this was a brick wall, enough to stop the whole process.
Other issues included communication problems with the owner, who had already moved to California. Finally, we closed on January 4th, and our final cost of $247,000 was $8000 LESS than the appraised value! This, in a sellers’ market! Because of what we learned, we were able to buy our house for ZERO money down, and we used what we had been able to save to remodel the kitchen. I wanted to have equity… two years later we’ve had it appraised at $325,000!
I’m excited. I’ve recommended this course to all of my friends. Some don’t think it’s worth it, but when you look at how much money a single mistake can cost you on a house deal, how can it NOT be worth the cost? FREE!!
Now, we feel so confident after everything we walked through in our first deal, that we want to begin buying homes for ourselves for investment. I can’t wait for you to come out with your course on investing. Put us down for two seats!
Thank you!
--Chris Thomas and Jenn West

