Educating Homebuyers is your go-to podcast for real stories, expert tips, and honest advice about the homebuying journey. Hosted by Brady Haye, each episode features real estate pros, past clients, and local experts who break down what buyers actually need to know. Whether you're buying your first home, upgrading, or just curious about the market, this show helps you feel informed, educated, and confident every step of the way. NMLS #1450053
The Worst Way to Decide When to Buy a House | with David Rodriguez
When is the right time to buy a house?
Too many homebuyers try to answer that question by watching interest rates, home prices, economic predictions and social media headlines.
But that might be the worst way to make one of the biggest financial decisions of your life.
In this episode of Educating Homebuyers, we talk about why buying a home should be timed around YOUR life, your family, your budget and your goals, not around trying to perfectly predict the housing market.
We also get into:
🏠 What we're actually seeing in the Central Iowa housing market
📉 Why scary housing headlines don't always tell the full story
💰 Why interest rates shouldn't be used as a sales tactic
📊 A real transaction where an appraisal came in roughly $30,000 low
🏡 How appraisals and comparable sales actually impact home values
🤝 Why the right real estate professionals matter when a deal gets complicated
📱 Building an authentic personal brand in real estate
❤️ Balancing business, family and the things that actually matter
One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation:
Time your home purchase to your life, not the market.
If buying a home makes sense for your family, your finances and your goals, that's what matters. And if it doesn't make sense right now, there's nothing wrong with waiting.
This episode also marks a first for Educating Homebuyers...
Our FIRST EVER repeat guest.
Stick around to find out who it is 👀
Subscribe to Educating Homebuyers for more conversations designed to help you feel informed, educated and comfortable when making decisions about real estate and homeownership.
00:00 Welcome to Educating Homebuyers
00:33 Our First Repeat Guest
02:14 What Happened to the 2026 Housing Market?
04:22 From Realtor to Brokerage Owner & Coach
07:07 How Agents Can Win in a Difficult Market
09:20 The 5 D's That Drive Real Estate
10:41 Why Relationships Matter in Real Estate
12:49 How the Market Has Changed Since 2025
13:29 What Buyers Are Experiencing Right Now
14:31 Is the Housing Market Actually Crashing?
15:43 Stop Trying to Time the Housing Market
17:04 Why Agents Shouldn't Sell Interest Rates
18:32 A Real Estate Deal That Almost Fell Apart
20:14 The Appraisal Came in $30,000 Low
20:41 How Home Appraisals Actually Work
23:21 Why Home Equity Isn't a Fixed Number
26:09 How Agents Can Succeed in a Tough Market
27:27 Building a Personal Brand on Social Media
31:18 Lessons From a California Real Estate Conference
32:36 Success, Faith, Family & Priorities
34:15 The Future of Real Estate Content
35:04 Why Authenticity Builds Your Brand
36:24 What Actually Matters at the End of the Day
39:28 Final Thoughts
14 Sept 2026
Homebuyers Have the Power Again | with Josh Baker
Homebuyers finally have some leverage again.
This week, Brady sits down with Central Iowa Realtor Josh Baker to talk about how the housing market has shifted, why buyers have more negotiating power today, and what both buyers and sellers need to know in a more normalized market.
They discuss pricing, inspections, interest rates, when to start planning your move, and why waiting for the “perfect” market may not always make sense.
Josh also shares his journey from medical sales into real estate and how he built his business largely through relationships and referrals.
If buying or selling a home is somewhere in your future, this episode will help you better understand the opportunities available in today’s market.
00:00 Welcome to Educating Homebuyers
00:33 Meet Josh Baker
01:33 How Josh Got Into Real Estate
03:43 The Importance of Mentorship
05:05 Building a Referral-Based Business
09:15 What the 2026 Housing Market Looks Like
09:54 Homebuyers Are Back in the Driver’s Seat
11:53 How Sellers Should Approach Pricing
13:21 Should You Keep Waiting to Buy?
15:53 How Brady Got Into the Mortgage Business
19:26 Building the Key Mortgage Group Experience
21:14 Why Listing Agents Should Call the Lender
22:53 Josh’s Central Iowa Market
25:04 Where Is the Housing Market Headed?
25:56 Advice for Buyers 6–12 Months Out
27:11 How Early Should You Contact an Agent?
27:55 Preparing Your Home to Sell
28:54 Why Inspections Matter, Even on New Homes
30:39 How Agents and Lenders Can Stand Out
31:09 Being Available for Your Clients
35:05 Building a Business Without Chasing Leads
36:26 Golf Talk
38:17 Final Thoughts
1 Sept 2026
Why Your Mortgage Lender Doesn’t Have to Be “Local” | with Jared Nicolaisen
Does your mortgage lender really need to live in the same city as you?
In this episode of Educating Homebuyers, Brady sits down with fellow Key Mortgage Group lender Jared Nicolaisen to challenge what it actually means to work with a “local lender” and why trust, communication, experience, and execution matter a whole lot more than where your lender physically sits.
Jared shares his journey from entering the mortgage industry with virtually no experience to building a successful business, relocating his family to Minnesota, and continuing to serve clients and referral partners across multiple markets.
They also break down what separates an average mortgage experience from a great one, why getting a preapproval letter should only be the beginning, and why the best lender isn't always the one offering the lowest advertised rate.
Jared even shares a story about telling one of his own clients to use another lenderbecause the deal they were being offered was simply too good to pass up. That decision ultimately led to even more referrals because the client knew Jared was willing to put their best interest ahead of making a sale.
In this episode:
00:00 – Welcome to Educating Homebuyers
01:09 – Jared’s journey into the mortgage industry
02:15 – From terrified of video to embracing social media
03:13 – Building momentum at Key Mortgage Group
04:23 – What a five-star mortgage experience actually looks like
06:14 – How a lender’s reputation can help buyers win offers
07:23 – Creating a consistent experience for every homebuyer
08:45 – Jared’s decision to relocate to Minnesota
10:53 – Maintaining relationships while living in another state
12:21 – Does your mortgage lender really need to be local?
14:02 – How technology has changed the mortgage process
14:28 – Building a mortgage business across multiple markets
15:27 – Balancing marriage, moving, and growing a business
16:43 – Why relationships matter so much in mortgage
17:02 – Giving back through the Pinky Swear Foundation
18:26 – Jared’s vision for Minnesota
19:28 – Why a preapproval letter isn't enough
20:10 – Staying connected with clients after closing
21:21 – Why Jared told a client to use another lender
21:54 – Interest rate vs. the actual cost of your mortgage
23:10 – Making homebuying less intimidating
24:23 – The real reason we love helping people buy homes
At the end of the day, being a great mortgage lender isn't about sitting in an office down the street. It's about knowing the market, communicating well, educating your clients, being transparent, and being someone they can trust to execute when it matters.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
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