This week is “Wicked Awesome” with special guest Dave Waltzer of Alliance Agency Group and esteemed Founder of the Wicked Awesome Happy Hour. We’re talking about close quarters, helping our community and maintaining a sense of security during these trying times (Dave’s specialty).
Topics you don’t want to miss!
- Steve Rozansky talks about what Friendly Auto Centers is doing for our community as well as the current state of the auto repair industry in general.
- Pk Jordan of East Valley Mediator shares how to deal with divorce and separation when you’re stuck at home.
- Ryan Steckelberg of VIP Mortgage, Inc. talks about the important difference between forbearance and foreclosure, and our own Felecia Rozansky, Realtor® shares updates on the once hot Phoenix real estate market. Has it cooled?
Episode Recap
FRIENDLY TAKEAWAYS:
- Let’s all stick together and make it through these tough times!
- Call your mortgage servicer and your insurance agent before you stop payments.
- Follow Dave Waltzer and learn about local restaurants.
- The housing market is still open for business!
Sticking Together to Make it Through the Coronavirus
COVID19 is still the hot topic of the day. Our guests join in from the comfort of their homes and offices, a sign of the current times. We started out talking with Ryan to learn the difference between a forbearance and a foreclosure. What should people do about their mortgages during this coronavirus economy? First, call your service provider and see how they’re handling this. If you can pay your mortgage, do it. If you’re stuck, call your servicer and get details. If there’s a forbearance, you might be able to defer payments — but the payments may all be due at the end of that period. That’s a huge risk for ending up in foreclosure. So, please, call your mortgage company. If you work with a big bank, just be careful when you call in. You might be talking to a call center agent, not a mortgage pro.
Steve shared info on the automotive industry. It’s rough. People are not driving because they are staying home. People can’t leave the house to bring their cars in. But the big issue is the supply chain. With all of the airlines grounding planes, the cargo they bring along with passengers is getting held up as well. It’s taking longer to get parts. There’s a 60-90 inventory of parts in America, and that’s getting eaten up. The other aspect is credit. Vendors are cutting down credit terms to weekly, from monthly terms. A lot of shops are shutting down, furloughing mechanics. One local shop even abandoned his customers’ cars right in the lot.
Friendly is picking up cars, doing repairs, and delivering the car back home. And they are steaming out vents, replacing filters, and sanitizing the whole car. Guess what, they’ve also got toilet paper! Friendly is giving away rolls of TP if you need it, along with oil changes. They’ve also been taking care of their customers, picking up prescriptions, delivering food, etc. We are all in this together and need to support each other.
Be Careful with Your Life Insurance During the Virus
We talked with social media king, Dave Waltzer. Everybody in Chandler knows this guy! Dave’s from Boston. He has that East Coast mindset and was raised in an entrepreneurial family. He knows small business. That’s been a part of who he is. He ended up in the Air Force and moved to the Valley and entered the insurance business. That was a great fit because he loves serving people.
Dave recommends calling your insurance provider if you’re having a hard time making payments. Things are uncertain and crazy. Talk to your provider and work it out. Don’t cancel your insurance. The coronavirus makes having the right mix of insurance even more important. It’s a way to take care of your family. Remember, you have options. Talk to your provider.
The key is, once you cancel a policy, you may not be able to renew it because of COVID19. In some cases, you might have enough in the policy to take a loan out on. Between your mortgage and your insurance, talk to your agents. You’ll likely have more options than you’re aware of. Get help!
Follow Dave and Learn About Chandler Restaurants
We talked to Dave about what’s going on in Chandler. How can we help support our community? Dave has a monthly happy hour mixer, and that is on hold. So, he’s still doing what he can to support local restaurants. He goes out to at least one place for carryout/pickup every day. When he does, he posts about it on Facebook. He just reallocated money he spent elsewhere into this. And he always tips a minimum of $10. We have to look out for the servers. Whatever we CAN do, we SHOULD do.
This is new to all of us, staying at home. It’s really tough on extroverts. Dave recommends having a schedule. Still get up at the same time, have a routine. Only check COVID news once a day, don’t get stuck in the negative. Faith has also played a big role for him. Sader, Passover, Easter…traditions help keep us all together.
PK Jordan joined the conversation to talk about families that are going through quarantine while also going through divorce. Well, first of all, she advises couples not to jump right to divorce. Being cooped up at home can amplify problems in a marriage, but once that’s acknowledged, divorce may not be what’s needed. You have to settle down those heightened emotions. The key is communication — communicate!
New executive orders came down regarding family court. Single parents have concerns, but they have to continue along the parenting plan unless they can come together and make a temporary change during this time. So much of this is getting ironed out via video conference, just like everybody else. That is retraining this industry and PK thinks that’ll continue when this is all over.
The Housing Market is Still Open
Time to talk about housing. The Cromford Report, THE experts, is putting out news, which is not terrible. There is a decrease in both buyers and listings. So, things are still about even. You can still sell your home. There are still buyers out there. Realtors like Felecia are taking serious precautions to keep people healthy, including doing virtual tours. She’s also requesting that buyers are prequalified. Agents can’t take a chance on those who aren’t ready to buy. It’s safer for all involved.
Both Felecia and Ryan are seeing lenders checking employment, doing verification up to the last couple days before closing to make sure they’re still qualified. Getting qualified is also changing. A lot of investors who did easier loans — bank statement loans — are pulling back. Jumbo loans are getting harder to qualify for, too. There are still options. The average rate for a jumbo loan is about 4.5%. Rates for other loans are still great, too: 3.5-4.0%. People are still applying and refinances are still happening.
What about real estate and divorce. PK says most often, couples are selling the home. These homes aren’t moving as fast, so she helps set them up for future sale. You can buy a house or a condo during the divorce process, and that can be memorialized in the divorce agreement. The key is to document all of that. If you’re going through a divorce that includes a home, call PK.
Wrap Up
Until next week, Drive Friendly…and BE Friendly…Arizona! We’re all in this together!
