Introduction to Tess and Amanda

Speaker 1 0:30

I'm a realtor with Haven Homes, a Pearson Smith realty Been in business for approximately seven years and 10 months.

Speaker 2 0:39

Who's counting? Who's counting?

Speaker 1 0:41

Yeah, not me.

Speaker 3 0:44

And I'm Tess Harris. I have teamed with Amanda years ago, part-time, and I just jumped into real estate full time. The end, the end. That's a wrap, right.

Speaker 1 1:02

No, this is just the beginning, okay, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:04

Yeah, hello. And then what do you guys help your clients with? What is the typical problem that people are coming to you guys for? Maybe they need a solution and you guys have got it.

Speaker 1 1:14

Well, as it turns out, real estate agents help people buy and sell homes. What?

Speaker 2 1:18

Look at that. I'm shook, I know.

Speaker 3 1:20

I didn't even know that was coming in.

Speaker 1 1:21

And what's even more amazing is that Tess and I are the only two realtors in Northern Virginia Perfect, so we don't even have to try that hard. How ideal. How'd you guys get?

Speaker 3 1:30

so lucky my gosh, it just come to us you know our wit and our beautiful personalities, our delicate approach to everything. I'm demure.

Speaker 1 1:41

You are delicate.

Speaker 2 1:43

Very delicate, mindful and demure, like a little flower, and now both of you have unique backgrounds and experiences. How did your paths cross and what inspired you to collaborate in the real estate industry?

Speaker 1 1:56

Okay, so my background is in software sales and business development, so I ran a team of 35 business development reps who made cold calls all day. Every day I did it made phone calls, so the process of follow-up is super important to me and easy, because that was my background. I hated it, though, so I went into real estate, met Tess on a transaction several years ago.

Speaker 2 2:24

I think it was 2021, maybe.

Speaker 3 2:27

Yeah, it was New Year's Eve, new Year's of 2022.

Speaker 1 2:33

Oh yeah, so we'd just gotten through COVID, we could breathe again. She repped the buyers, I repped the sellers, and it was just love at first sight and I spent the next three years recruiting her until she finally came to PSR and joined Haven Homes and now finally full-time.

Speaker 3 2:55

Yeah, except for what she left out is she didn't, you know, delicately recruit me. She essentially like kidnapped me.

Speaker 1 3:01

Oh, I love that there was a plane propeller that was involved.

Speaker 3 3:04

That brought us together. So on the transaction that we worked together on, we like immediately hit it off over the phone. You know we never met. And then there was this gigantic like wooden, like plane propeller that they had left at the house and I was like dude. I was like, do they want this? Because if not, I'm keeping it.

Speaker 3 3:26

And the clients were one was, uh, blind, oh, and the other one, I mean, they're both like in their eighties, like on their way out, and yet had this giant plane propeller and that was like and they had, you know, because of their age and there were health issues during the transaction and stuff, and that was one of the things that I think that for me made it way more comfortable to like even play with. The idea of like teaming with Amanda was because there were these issues that were happening that, like we were able to seamlessly work through and at the end of it you know, it was New Year's Eve and because of their age and again like the you know kind of issues that were happening we came in and there was still stuff in the house and it was New Year's Eve and so I went in and like cleaning they cleaned.

Speaker 3 4:18

Yeah, they did not clean at all, and so I went in and cleaned everything New Year's Eve because I didn't want my clients to go in, you know, to like a messy house or whatever that they just purchased and but they had like these boxes of like you know, sheets and just kind of like that crap that you would leave and think like, oh, maybe they won't mind throwing it away. For me.

Speaker 3 4:39

And there was this cool airplane propeller and so that was the only thing that they wanted and I was driving like a tiny little Kia. Niro shoved this thing in the back of my Niro. It's like going from my windshield to like the back and I meet with Amanda the first time and I'm like got this airplane propeller over my shoulder.

Speaker 1 4:59

We got dinner and just Carried it through the parking garage. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 3 5:02

Y'all are too much and then just hit it off and then yeah, so then you know, teamed with her, probably like a year later, but like part time Right, and then I've been doing these renovations on a couple of my properties and so that's like one of the things that was like I needed to finish those before really going into real estate full-time and I was teaching at the same time and just busy, busy but, um, learned a lot about houses themselves, which was really cool. Um, a lot about houses themselves, which was really cool, and finally just made the leap, you know.

Speaker 2 5:39

Yeah.

Speaker 3 5:39

Last month.

Speaker 2 5:40

I love it. Do you still have the propeller?

Speaker 3 5:42

No, they didn't, they took it. No, they wanted it back.

Speaker 1 5:44

Yeah, what I know I know I'm dying to know what they did with it.

Speaker 3 5:49

Probably nothing, because it was just in like the side of their office anyways.

Speaker 1 5:52

I know it side of their office anyways, along with a stationary bike from like 1943. Oh my goodness, I mean alright, those people were a hoot.

Speaker 2 6:02

And then Amanda, you've been praised for your effective marketing strategies leading to quick sales and multiple offers. Could you share some of your secret ingredients for creating such successful marketing campaigns?

Speaker 1 6:13

Which depends who's the audience.

Speaker 2 6:16

Uh, finance Can't get away with all my secrets, no, I'm just kidding.

Speaker 1 6:21

Um, what do I do for marketing? I mean, one of the things that I do is I send a postcard to my neighborhood. Um, I live in a neighborhood in Herndon that is highly desirable. For some reason, the houses aren't that nice. They were built in the seventies. We have seven and a half foot ceilings. It's the one thing that I can't change, that I wish I could. But people freaking love this neighborhood and there are many, many examples of multi-generations living in the neighborhood and they move up or move down or they split. And you know I had one where the husband stayed and I helped the wife buy another house in the neighborhood. It's a really great community, their neighborhood it's it's awesome.

Speaker 1 7:06

So I started sending out a postcard every month that just has you know what sold, what is coming up in the neighborhood. And I get a ton of phone calls and like last night I got a text message from somebody asking about a property that they heard was coming soon. Done a ton of off-market deals. Just because I'm consistent in my neighborhood, I'll send out equity letters and be like hey, it looks like you've got a ton of equity. You should sell somewhere else.

Speaker 2 7:39

I love that and I love that you didn't mention like the internet. You said a postcard that you mail out to everybody.

Speaker 1 7:45

Yeah, and I've done postcards where people wanted, um, well, the clients that we did a deal on, they needed one level living because the house that we sold in Leesburg was two stories. They needed one because of the wife's mobility issues and blindness. So I sent out postcards to a couple of neighborhoods that I knew had primarily main level living. Got a listing out of that level living. Um, got a listing out of that. Um, help that guy sell. Got another sign call from that. Helped that woman. They actually didn't use me to sell cause they were divorcing and her husband wanted to use his friend. Uh, she moved to California, hated it, called me, moved back. So she used me when they came back. Um, so it's just putting your face out there and being consistent but also being genuine, like in my postcards. Um, not necessarily the neighborhood ones, but if I'm targeting like a particular client, I'll put their names in there.

Speaker 1 8:51

Like my amazing client, um, or you know, paula and Ben. They love the neighborhood, they want this, that and the other. Your house fits that. Can we talk about making a deal happen?

Speaker 2 9:05

Yeah, very personalized.

Speaker 1 9:07

I love that. It is and it helps because you know I mean Tessa, and I love what we do so much Like I would do this job for free. I won't, because I have standards. But I would because, yeah, don't get an idea, but it's so fun, I love it, I love you know matching people with the perfect property. I was a professional matchmaker way back in the day.

Speaker 3 9:30

Were you really yes?

Speaker 2 9:31

What? How did you not know that? How did you?

Speaker 3 9:33

not tell me that, wow, we're finding out some secrets today.

Speaker 2 9:36

Yeah, we're going to have to take a detour down that experience.

Speaker 3 9:39

That would be cool. I think, too, like the best thing about Amanda and the way that she runs her business is that again, going back to that genuine right, Like that authenticity. She is who she is and she's good at what she does, you know, and if she doesn't know something, she's going to go out there and she's going to figure it out. And she, like, when things are stressful, like can you know, tone it down with some humor, or also knows how to you know, like pick and choose, like when to share, like what's stressful or work through it without telling the client.

Speaker 3 10:16

Yeah, yeah, because it's like, it's like it's just like with having kids Right, like sometimes you don't say like, oh, like you know grandma's in the hospital and dying.

Speaker 2 10:25

We're like, oh, like you know, drastic.

Speaker 3 10:27

Yeah, the only thing I can think of and you know, you like kind of like pick and choose, like, ok, is this something that I can handle without giving them additional stress, because moving is so stressful whether you're buying or selling, like it just is, there's always something going on. So, to be able to reduce that amount of stress with humor, or you know, just you know, knowing what to share and what not to share, or when to share it. Yeah, that's, you know, and not like I'm trying to like rephrase that a little bit because I don't want it to sound like it's secrecy or hiding something, but it's just like knowing, like, okay, can I work through all these issues? And you know.

Speaker 1 11:11

Come to a resolution without the Worrying the client.

Speaker 3 11:13

Yeah.

Speaker 1 11:14

Without the client worrying that things are derailing. Because anytime you're in a transaction, whether you're the buyer or the seller, every little thing feels like this major life event that's going to derail the whole thing.

Speaker 2 11:30

The world's ending. Oh my gosh. Yeah, like you know, a final walkthrough. Well, yeah.

Speaker 3 11:33

Yeah, like you know, a final walkthrough. Well, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 11:35

Like a final walkthrough and people are like you know, how do you turn this light on? How do you do this, that and the other Like questions that are good questions. I mean the buyers want to know like why can't I figure out how to turn this light on?

Speaker 1 11:57

It doesn't mean that they're questioning you know whether or not they're going to yeah, or whether they're going to follow through with the transaction, but answering those questions for them and not annoying the seller to be like you know, cause that happened once and I was like, hey, they're asking about this light, and they're asking about that, and they're asking about this, and you know it's like they're still going to buy the house, you know they just want to know how it works, and that's normal. Yeah, that's totally normal. It's okay, don't freak out about it.

Speaker 2 12:21

Please don't. I love that. Great answers. And now um Tess, what made you take the leap to go full-time into real estate? Like I know, you were part-time, but what? What happened? What I know?

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Speaker 3 12:35

you were part-time. But what happened? Well, I, I happened. Yeah, amanda happened. I love that for you. I don't know. No, I guess, like it's sort of I don't know a long story, like long story. That's the best way for me to say this.

Speaker 3 12:49

I started getting into the time had come, I started getting into real estate actually, um, actually, when I was pregnant with my, I got my license when I was pregnant with my middle child and she is six now and, um, I was teaching before that and then I was like, okay, so you know, like I'll just get my real estate license People have been telling me that I should and then I continued to teach for a few years, um, and then, uh, yeah, I bought these properties that needed like major renovations and it was sort of like a like I bought my first property, um, in January of 2021. And then I talked to Jeremy Kendall, um, with Atlanta Coast Mortgage Shout out to Jeremy, give him a little plug here, he's the best. Um. And he, I had known him from high school and he had just started doing mortgages and so I was talking to him and just sort of learning and I was like I want to do.

Speaker 3 13:50

I set like a three to five year goal to get an income property and then nine months later, I bought two. And so I found this one property that had two dwelling units on it and it was a little cottage and then a two story like 2000 square foot detached garage.

Speaker 1 14:14

Guess which one she lives in.

Speaker 2 14:16

Don't tell me the garage, the garage girl.

Speaker 3 14:20

But listen, listen, when I saw the listing pictures I was like that looks like a house. And I grew up with my mom she would do, she would buy these like abandoned houses, like she bought the house that we lived in when I moved out here when I was in eighth grade was in Middleburg and she bought this like gorgeous stone house I was on Tanagers. It had like a cottage house or a carriage house to the side of it, yeah, and it was like abandoned and like gross and she bought it for maybe like I don't I don't even know like maybe six or 700,000 and redid it, turned it into something awesome. And she did that all the time. And so I was always around when, like she'd be doing that or like the, the work, like you know, the, the contractors that she'd have working on the properties, and I'd be like can I try, you know? And like I would be like out there with like cameras, and they were all like so cool, like really patient with me, and you know I was young, I was like I was young, um, and so I saw that that was a possibility.

Speaker 3 15:20

And so then, when I set this three to five year goal to have income properties and I just kept, you know, looking on the MLS and then saw this opportunity come up. It had dropped down into my price point and, um, I had negotiated you know, my way down off of the list price, and this is in 2021. So I felt pretty good about that, um, and then, and then you know, I redid, turned the garage into my house and um, that's crazy.

Speaker 1 15:49

Yeah, and it's so freaking cute I'm going to have to see cause I'm picturing like a garage. It's like I don't even know what you can't even tell it was a garage. Yeah, when Amanda and I, I was like I got to stop telling people this was a garage.

Speaker 3 16:00

It's like yeah you really do, cause it doesn't cause. That's what she said too. She's like I can't even picture what you're talking about. And then when she came to it, she was like this doesn't look like a garage at all, cause what it was is it was like a three bay garage on the bottom and then you had an above garage apartment and because of just the research from you know what kind of like you know, plumbing you need electric, you need for, like, baths, kitchens, all of that, I was like, oh, I can drop the kitchen down and I can move a bath or, you know, put a bath here. And it was all learning on the fly, which is like incredibly frustrating and long and tedious. But as a special like I was a special ed teacher, so you know I sort of had patience with myself. My timelines are always off, you know. They say I'd be like Amanda, yeah, I'm going to get this done like three months, you know, a month, no, no, that was three years ago.

Speaker 3 16:57

But it was only me and my boyfriend at the time who was, you know, so helpful and we just, like you know, trudge through the trenches and we had, you know, the cottage was supposed to be fine and I went down there and everything had to be redone. Like literally gutted that thing. I say. We stripped that thing down like a dog that snipped you out at the airport. You know, I know the end. I know every piece of that house, every little crease, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, but it's been a great experience because I can walk into a house now and I can look around and kind of see like, okay, what is it Like, where are the issues? What you know, what does it take to fix that up and either help calm clients down or be like yeah, where you're like no, that's absolutely not.

Speaker 3 17:44

Yeah, like I went into a house with a client one time and she was so pumped because she wanted to put an offer in on it. And immediately when I walk in I see that there are structural issues, because they had taken down a pillar that was actually structural support and I could see the way that it was already bending and I was like, uh, that's not good. And she was like, well, what do you mean? And so I went downstairs. I'm like, if I go into a house too, the first place I'm going is like the crawl space or like oh God, I'm scared, I'm like yeah, cool, you guys check out the color on the walls.

Speaker 3 18:12

I'll be right back.

Speaker 1 18:15

Oh my God, that's so true. We looked at a house in front Royal recently for my. My husband and I had to buy it as an investment property, and Tess went straight into the crawl space. Girl.

Speaker 2 18:26

Like look at that dark dangerous place and found a leak, though I was like look there's a leak right here and blah blah.

Speaker 3 18:31

We're like following the flow and we're like, oh yeah, it's coming from there. It hasn't been there that long.

Speaker 2 18:45

This is great, because now you can's with the necklace.

Speaker 1 18:46

So funny, you should, yeah, so I have no idea what the symbol on the front means. Um it, it looks like, when it looks like, um like a like the holiday in age.

Speaker 3 18:56

What are they?

Speaker 2 18:57

a bubbly star what are they?

Speaker 1 18:59

what are the? The cons, the constellations or um zodiac signs?

Speaker 3 19:05

Yes.

Speaker 1 19:05

Thank you God thank you, but I don't think that's what it is.

Speaker 2 19:08

Okay.

Speaker 1 19:09

But there's a button on the back.

Speaker 2 19:11

Oh, that's what you just got yeah.

Speaker 1 19:12

If I double tap the button, it will call ADT 911.

Speaker 2 19:17

Can I do it?

Speaker 1 19:18

No, no, what no, but yeah, it'll call 9-1-1 ADT. It will call me. It will text Tess and my whole family and let them send them my location and it will open the camera and the recording device on my phone. What?

Speaker 2 19:42

is that amazing?

Speaker 1 19:43

no, I hadn't either, and my parents had gotten me a handgun years ago. But like when you're a realtor, like I, go in with my phone and a business card and that's it. I can lock and unlock my car with my phone. I oftentimes, as a woman, don't have pockets, so you know you have to carry everything with you and it's annoying.

Speaker 2 20:04

Yes, and so I'm scared when she carries her gun in her hand. I know.

Speaker 1 20:06

So if I'm just walking around with a pistol, that's going to be a problem it sure is.

Speaker 3 20:11

Oh my God, we didn't go over the rules about like firearms and like talking about weapons on here.

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Speaker 1 20:16

Well, you know, I would have a concealed carry permit, but at any rate, yeah. So I had texted this to my parents. I was like look, how cool this is. And my parents were like we're buying that right now for you. Yeah, 10, and I was like but it's, you could for my birthday and they're like no here, here, right now.

Speaker 2 20:32

Yeah, you need this now. Oh my gosh, what is the name of this company? Let's plug it. Maybe they'll hear me like oh, let's send her some swag or something, it's called invisaware invisaware.

Speaker 1 20:40

Yeah and it's not. I think it was like 130 bucks and then you can do a subscription, which they did for me. But I don't think you need the subscription for it to just call 911 and text your friends or your emergency contacts or whatever. But amazing for realtors or anybody who is out in the field meeting randos in dark houses she needs one she's crawling into like creepy places. Nobody would fuck with her.

Speaker 3 21:09

I'm just terrifying.

Speaker 2 21:10

Really, yeah, you seem so friendly. I feel like someone could just easily kidnap you both oh my God, we joke about this all the time.

Speaker 1 21:17

They would send us back. Yeah, they would be like no one of us would laugh and the other would fart oh, yeah, and we would. Just they would be like no, you're too much yeah, send them back.

Speaker 2 21:29

Send them back. These two are all right. Well, I guess you don't need the necklace girl.

Speaker 3 21:36

I would push. I would push it too, I was don't give her one. Never mind, I can't have it I can't have a button on me. I'd be like this, playing with it all the time.

Speaker 2 21:44

What does this button do?

Speaker 3 21:45

Beep, beep, beep, beep beep my dad like all my family is in California, so if you heard, it.

Speaker 2 21:49

It's like an emergency contact.

Speaker 3 21:51

So she'd be like will you stop? Stop pushing the button.

Speaker 2 21:53

Yeah.

Speaker 3 21:54

Or if I, just if she didn't answer my phone call, I'd be like, oh, that They'd be like, just put her on the list.

Speaker 2 22:08

We know she just pushes the button. It's like, literally it would be like the adult version of, like you know, the girl that cried wolf. Yeah, don't do that, girl, you need your safety.

Speaker 3 22:12

You never know.

Speaker 2 22:12

Don't get on the list. And now I have a question for both of you. The Northern Virginia real estate market has its unique challenges and opportunities. What trends are you currently observing and how do you guide your clients to navigate them effectively?

Speaker 3 22:28

I feel like it's kind of like all over the place, like some. Sometimes it's you know you're getting like over asking, and then other times the houses are sitting Like I don't you know. It's sort of like this in between from COVID and before COVID, in my opinion well, and since COVID, covid was what?

Speaker 1 22:51

2020, yeah, so now we're in 2025, so it's been almost five years. Every year has been distinctly different than the one prior, right, because then you've got COVID, which which everyone was like well, I hate my house, I need more space. And then it was okay, interest rates are 3%. Now I'm going to buy something bigger, just because I can't.

Speaker 3 23:14

It's the same price basically, or they were like oh, all the prices are higher, there's this bubble, it's going to pop. Everybody was deferring back to like the 2005, 2006 crisis, but they didn't really real like the difference there was that you know it's. The internet is so great for information and knowledge for like the general public, but like also that's why you need the experts is because that was an internal issue with like the lenders and that was all. It can't happen again. Yeah, that was all sorted out because they put in guidelines and regulations.

Speaker 3 23:50

And what happened with covid? I mean, it was a pandemic. So you have all of these houses that are like the, the prices are higher than what people are used to. So they're like oh, like, I'm scared because I don't want the bubble to pop, like whatever. And then, but your interest rates are awesome, and then it switches.

Speaker 3 24:08

So where it's like well, you guys like that time period, I mean, all of our comps are to COVID prices and then, because of the way the economy works is, of course, interest rates were going to go up, because it's sort of like, in my opinion, it's like when you use your credit card and you don't pay it off every month, then your bill is higher, right, and so then you have to make up for that by saving somewhere, and so that's what the Fed had to do with raising interest rates, from my understanding. And it's like, oh well, now we're waiting for interest rates to go down, and so now you're also seeing a surplus of renters, people that had sold their home to get the equity in, you know, 2021, 2022. And then they're like, oh, we're going to rent and wait till the prices come down.

Speaker 2 24:56

And then, they're not coming down. Yeah, news flash and they're not coming down. Wake it up.

Speaker 3 25:00

They're still renting because now it's like, oh well, now we're going to wait for interest rates to come down.

Speaker 1 25:05

And it's also not coming yeah.

Speaker 3 25:07

Yeah, it's not going to happen. It's not going to. They will like a little bit here and there, but like we're never getting back to three.

Speaker 3 25:13

Right, we're at the average of like what it was before covid and stuff, and it's like so those people that they just spent all their equity on renting which I love, because I love being a property manager and I love rentals and it's just as important to help your tenant clients as it is your buyers and sellers but that's really what it did, is it spread the gap between homeowners and tenants?

Speaker 1 25:40

Well, I think the challenge right now is, because of what the current administration is doing, there's a lot of uncertainty, particularly in the DMV. I've talked to a lot of buyers in the last few weeks and they're like well, we're going to wait to see what happens. There's going to be a massive exodus from DC. I'm like, okay, but let's couple that with the back to work back to the office. Okay, but let's couple that with the back to work back to the office mandate. And so now you've got these people that have lost their jobs, that are potentially moving out of the area, which I don't see, that I don't think that's going to happen to any major extent.

Speaker 1 26:16

And then you've got all these people that are like uh, I talked to a guy yesterday. He was looking at condos in Arlington and he lives in Palm beach. He was like, well, if I have to come back to work, I have to have a place to live. It's like, well, funny how that works. So you've got, you know, different tides pulling in different directions, but it all balances out. And this is the DMV, so we are protected in a lot of ways from things that happen in other parts of the country. This is the first time that I've seen something that is more impactful to the DMV than some of these broader market conditions Like COVID had a massive effect on the market. The interest rates have a massive effect on the market, but this one is particularly, you know, powerful traumatic for some DC or, you know, dmv residents.

Speaker 1 27:10

But I don't think that it's going to have a major impact because there are there's no inventory right now there's nothing and there are tons and tons and tons of buyers who are ready to pull the trigger, but there's nothing for them to buy, so hopefully you know there is somewhat of an exodus, so that we can get some of these buyers into places.

Speaker 2 27:33

Yeah.

Speaker 1 27:34

I mean, we're just spinning our wheels, yeah, no.

Speaker 3 27:36

I think there's like a lot of good opportunity though, because there are areas, like you know, like Loudoun, that don't.

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Speaker 3 27:43

They're like doing the slow growth thing and so they're not. You know putting up new houses very frequently, or if they are, it's a very controlled you know putting up new houses very frequently, or if they are, it's a very controlled, you know manner, but then you've got like West Virginia that's really not that far away that they are pro growth, so they're like putting up houses left and right, so they're creating a little bit more inventory. But you know, for, as realtors, like in you know, a team like us, like you know being dynamic and being able to touch on all those spots and kind of think outside the box of like okay, like well, what can we offer people or what can we, you know, educate them on on different areas that might not be as reputable right now, they might not be those super hot spots, but with the knowledge that we have about what's happening in different areas, it's like you know being able to talk to why that would maybe be a good place to look at.

Speaker 3 28:33

Or like Front Royal is like got some great properties that has like a lot of land and they are, you know, wanting to grow. And same with you know, even out, like in Winchester, Winchester.

Speaker 1 28:44

Yeah, there's a chocolate factory coming yeah.

Speaker 2 28:47

What? Yes, yes, like a big one, like it's going to be like Willy Wonka.

Speaker 1 28:51

I mean, I don't know my chocolate factory so well, but I can't imagine it would be tiny.

Speaker 2 28:56

Tiny right, that's cool. Do you know, is it going to be like Hershey or is it just like a local one?

Speaker 1 29:01

No, it's. Did you recognize the name of it? I didn't either.

Speaker 3 29:04

Okay, cool, it's chocolate, who cares? 11 o'clock at night.

Speaker 1 29:07

She was like Winchester's getting a chocolate factory, but it means jobs. Yeah there we go and children.

Speaker 3 29:12

There's an Amazon distribution center in Winchester, now you know.

Speaker 3 29:15

so it's like all these areas that used to be kind of like and still are in some ways, yeah, in people's minds, like they're actually, you know, they're starting to come up and it's kind of cool to see that, um. But it also boils down to preference too, right, like, so people really want that one zip code or, you know, whatever it might be. But also it's up to us to kind of promote the different areas and what's going on in the market holistically and understand the difference between those areas so like I own a house in.

Speaker 1 29:47

I own a triplex in Front Royal. How'd you find that? My bestie Tessie found it for me.

Speaker 3 29:56

She was like I'm looking for this and I can't find anything for like five minutes right before lunch.

Speaker 1 30:00

I was like yeah, literally, she was like boom. I was like okay, and I didn't even look at it. She did. I was on vacation when, wow, now that's a bestie. Anyway, yes, but understanding different markets within the DMV, like Front Royal, for example, I renovated one of the units when the last tenant moved out. It's like, okay, what am I putting in here? Like these people don't expect you know stainless steel appliances and granite countertops and you know anything top of the line. Really, I mean, it was new floors, windows that actually function, so they don't you know die. You know and just understand.

Speaker 1 30:46

You know like there's no air conditioning and that's pretty normal for Front Royal Just understand you know like there's no air conditioning and that's pretty normal for Front Royal, but setting expectations and understanding that, like you don't need to over, you don't want to over improve anything based on the market because you're not going to get it back.

Speaker 3 31:02

Yeah, well, I think it's about knowing when to what to improve and what not to like, what the priorities are so like when it comes to rental properties for like investors. Sometimes investors will be like they they go in with their own taste, right, and they're like oh, you know, I want this, that and the other, but they don't realize that they're not going to get a return on that. And that you know when you have tenants they don't care.

Speaker 3 31:25

Well, they do care, but the biggest thing that they care about is like literally one of the only perks about renting is that you have somebody else take care of your shit, right, yeah, so like if something breaks, you don't have to worry about scheduling contractors to come in and fix it. You don't have to worry landlord like I. Just what is most important to me is that my tenants feel comfortable and safe in their homes and that they feel like they're living in a place that they are proud to show off to family, that they could, like bring somebody you know and that you know is kind of it's important, but that's really important. But in order to do that, you also have to budget for, like, if your return is a couple hundred dollars a month, like for a rent, a rental, and you're working with an investor and they're like oh, we want to get this, that and the other like as a realtor.

Speaker 3 32:18

We have to guide them to be like okay, but listen yeah, 300 bucks a month, like on your return, 300 to 500, right, like that's a decent return for a rental. My purview is way more than that, but just saying but they, but that's. If you have a hot water heater break, that's a $5,000, you know repair, so you're budgeting for like a year. So if you're spending you know 1200 on a on a fridge or whatever, or if you're trying to be chintzy on your insurance, like you know, always get that insurance man, like I've had, yeah, and so I don't know, I'm kind of rambling about that, but other but knowing the market and knowing your clients and knowing what they're looking for, right.

Speaker 3 33:02

So, if it's like a single family or an investor or somebody looking for a second home, like how to properly educate and guide um without like closing them off or or shutting them down on their ideas and or you know, and not sugarcoating things.

Speaker 2 33:20

Yeah, no, I had a client we looked at two houses.

Speaker 1 33:23

One was basically a teardown in Fairfax, the other was a beautiful single family home in Round Hill. And he was like, but the Fairfax one, I could, you know, keep the foundation and just build up and build back. And I was like, listen, you're looking at at least half a million dollars to get something decent.

Speaker 1 33:46

It's not going to be great, and we're already listed at 565, I think. Plus, you are competing against all of the other investors in the area who are paying cash and you are not. You don't stand a chance in hell at getting this. I'm happy to help you, but I also want you to be realistic in what you're asking for. Also, we're looking at a year plus timeline by the time you secure permits, find a builder, get through the whole build process Like. Is that what you want?

Speaker 3 34:20

You know there's always. You always add at least six months to a big renovation.

Speaker 1 34:25

In Tess's case three years.

Speaker 3 34:27

I did it by myself, but I've also found some really good contractors which have been amazing and that is also kind of, I think one of our power points is we have a network. That is crucial, like we're so different in so many ways but also so like, so much alike, like, I think, on our foundation and our value system and the service we provide to our clients and our sense of humor.

Speaker 2 34:55

Yes, I love that. That's my favorite thing. Yeah, I'm so glad you guys came on this podcast.

Current Trends in the Northern Virginia Market

Speaker 3 34:59

I love it. I'm going to be cringy at like watching this, oh my God. But that's what I think is really cool is times.

Speaker 1 35:16

Tess and I hung out. She had paint in her hair 100%.

Speaker 3 35:19

I have paint on my fingernails right now.

Speaker 1 35:22

She regularly hurts herself.

Speaker 3 35:23

Not nail polish paint. I have.

Speaker 1 35:25

Yeah, she regularly hurts herself and then fixes it with super glue.

Speaker 3 35:29

I drilled into my wrist the other day by accident.

Speaker 1 35:32

I fix it with super glue, though it works, it's the best the fact that she has not died of meningitis sepsis, tetanus, tetanus, her kids.

Speaker 3 35:42

I'll go over to her kids' house and they're like oh, did you hurt yourself again?

Speaker 2 35:45

I'm like, yeah, Even they know, yeah, girl, well, be careful, well yeah, I am.

Speaker 1 35:54

It's a dangerous world out there for you, or?

Speaker 2 35:55

don't, because I'm in your will. Yolo, you only live once your will. You don't have.

Speaker 3 35:59

Yeah, I texted Amanda the other day after I was drawing a pocket hole into this like railing for this board for my railing Because I'm getting ready to close out my final permits for my house.

Speaker 3 36:11

You know, three years later, which my inspectors I freaking love. That's another again. It's so off beat, right, like my approach to all of this. And Amanda was like Jesus, when are you going to just do real estate full time? And I was like, but this is good because I'm learning so much. And she's like, oh my God, and it's and that voice too. Yeah, and it's so true, though, because, like even my, like the building inspectors for Clark County, I love she knows them all by name.

Speaker 2 36:37

I know, oh, my goodness girl.

Speaker 3 36:38

Okay, they're great Like they come over. They're like seriously, tess, and I'm like okay, I know I know, we um and but I forget what I was saying. I was doing the drill in your hand, oh yeah, I was doing in a pocket hole and I texted her. I was like, hey, uh, I really need to like, you're gonna be my like, you know will person.

Speaker 1 37:01

She's like if I don't, if I die, I don't have a will, just take care of it. Oh my goodness, girl, you're a lawyer, please yeah, I know, I was like get that fix.

Speaker 3 37:09

You've heard of LegalZoom, that's it. I was like no, I'm chewing this pocket hole.

Speaker 2 37:14

Now Haven Homes emphasizes using innovative technologies to enhance the real estate experience. Can you tell us about some of the tech tools you utilize and how they've transformed the way you serve your clients?

Speaker 1 37:27

Sure, there are a couple. I think one of the coolest things that we do for all of our clients is HomeBot. So once a client closes, we put their information into HomeBot, so it's their address and if we want, we can put their lender financial information in there. Interest rate, all of that and it sends a monthly report and it tells you how much equity you have. You can make manipulations to the data to show like, okay, if I paid an extra $200 a month, that means I would pay off my house in X number of years versus 30. It will tell you how much equity you have and what you could use that equity for. You could buy a vacation home or you could refinance and pull money out. But it just gives you a really good in-depth understanding of the financial aspect of owning a home.

Speaker 2 38:25

Yeah.

Speaker 1 38:25

And what changes in that look like in terms of you know, buying, selling, investing.

Speaker 3 38:33

And all the different variables in the market, so like if you had a certain amount of equity in your home and your interest rate was blah, blah, blah and rates came down.

Speaker 2 38:42

you know they can help you.

Speaker 3 38:43

Yeah, and then you can also, you know, be like oh, if I wanted to do a renovation, like what you know after talking to us and everything we could say okay, well, this could potentially bring up your property value by X amount.

Speaker 1 38:55

So it's a really, and we partner with Jeremy Kendall from Atlantic Coast on that. He better freaking love us. Of course he does.

Speaker 3 39:03

I actually have the box of tools for him in my car. Of course you do. Now he's going to listen to this. He's not going to listen to it, he's in Cancun. But anyway, is this live right now?

Speaker 2 39:16

No, it's not live. I know I was like Jesus.

Speaker 1 39:19

So that's one of the things that we use and I get phone calls, text messages, emails from clients all the time. They're like this tool is so cool. I'm like I know I use it for my own properties. It's very cool, I love it. Yeah, so that's one we do, client giant, which isn't necessarily a tech tool, but we set up all of our buyers on it and so they get little gifts throughout the transaction, including movie moving boxes like Advil and tea and you know little things to make the process less stressful. And then after that and they get a closing gift and all that Um. But then they get quarterly gifts from us, um, and they're usually like they're really cool things like this quarter. It's little um wooden appetizer plates that you know, every homeowner entertains at some point.

Speaker 1 40:10

Great to have. So just little things like that that keep us top of mind continually. We have a very incredibly robust CRM system, so it'll tell us like hey, so-and-so has a birthday coming up, Make sure you call and send a card and this person's home anniversary is coming up. Or this person clicked on three links, or this person favorited a property, or they looked at this property five times Like maybe they want to see it. You know little things like that that we're constantly like hey, I saw that you were checking out this property, Do you want to take a look at it?

Speaker 2 40:40

Y'all are on top of it.

Speaker 1 40:42

Try to be.

Speaker 2 40:42

That's awesome. No, I love how you're using technology to like better enhance the client experience it does creep some people out though. Oh, which I love. You're like, who is this? I know Like, how did you know?

Speaker 1 40:53

Because he loved you.

Speaker 2 40:54

I'm like I'm worried about it. I know everything. I'm under your bed. 911, please. No, that's incredible.

Speaker 1 41:02

Hold please let me just double tap. Yeah, that's right double tapped.

Speaker 3 41:06

that I didn't. I hope you did. Oh, my see this girl.

Speaker 2 41:09

she walks 9-1-1 here for some reason In the police show.

Speaker 3 41:12

You told me you have a button on your neck and it's this big shiny thing Seriously Like what's wrong with you.

Speaker 2 41:17

I know, I know I have to keep it away Like hide it, some days from her Well definitely from her, but from my.

Speaker 1 41:26

I keep it in a lock.

Speaker 3 41:27

Oh, Harper would be all over that.

Speaker 1 41:29

Yeah, yeah and now is oh sorry, go ahead. No, I was just, harper would be like I'm losing.

Speaker 2 41:36

And now is there anything that I have not touched on that? Perhaps you guys want to get out there. Maybe you have, maybe new systems that you will be bringing in place now that you're working together, or a new service, or maybe something You're writing a book. Maybe you guys are going to start your own podcast.

Speaker 3 41:49

Yeah, writing a book, that's what we're doing. I don't know the tales of Tess and Amanda. No, we have talked about doing a podcast and I think it would be hilarious you should, but I want to do like we're in the car together.

Speaker 2 42:03

That would be. Yes, that would grab people's attention.

Speaker 3 42:05

We will wreck and die, okay yeah, never mind, we would need a driver.

Speaker 1 42:10

Yeah, I don't think. Okay, one thing, I am going to put this out there.

Speaker 2 42:14

Do it.

Speaker 1 42:14

Because then it means we have to do it.

Speaker 3 42:15

We have got to do a client appreciation event in the next few months, because we have not done one in a couple of years and you know, what I've really wanted to do is again because my background has been in education for the last like nine years is I'm all about again like educating people on the process and just like walking them through it, and as a special ed teacher like I have, you know, an incredible amount of patience and just understanding for different learning styles. Guess who doesn't have patience.

Speaker 3 42:44

Yeah, so I'm going to guess you so and for me, like I just like I have said, with like the renovations, like I have I learned things the hard way Like I just like jump in and I'm like I'm going to figure it out and so to be able to offer the experience of even like the home renovations, like little DIY projects that people can do or ways to like save money if they're doing a big renovation, like the things to really spend money on, things that you can, you know, kind of like you know, do a less expensive route on to get the most return.

Speaker 1 43:19

It's just lessons learned from some of the mistakes that we've made.

What’s Next for Their Real Estate Partnership

Speaker 3 43:23

Yeah, and just even like with you know, purchasing and like what like. My little tagline is like don't stress, call Tess, I love, love, that's good, that's a good one.

Speaker 2 43:31

What about yours? Where's yours? Amanda, the Fanda of Amanda?

Speaker 3 43:39

that'll work um. You should carry around Fanta oh a fan. I'm a big fan of a man. Y'all are wild, I love it, but I, but I would like to do that sometime.

Speaker 2 43:54

Yes, but I get nervous.

Speaker 3 43:55

obviously Don't be nervous.

Speaker 2 43:56

I can't imagine you nervous at this point anymore.

Speaker 3 43:58

I'm sweating so much right now. What you don't look like it. I can smell her from here.

Speaker 2 44:02

Oh my gosh, Just kidding, I have some perfume, bro. I have lavender deodorant on right now.

Speaker 3 44:08

You want to smell it? No, well, you brought it up. You did want to smell it.

Speaker 2 44:14

Maybe it's me. No, it's not. I showered last night and I'm spritzed up, so there's no way You're all spritzed on five seconds, all right. So, looking ahead, what are your joint goals for your real estate partnership and how do you envision the future of your collaboration?

Speaker 3 44:32

together. I really want her and Ben to get divorced so we can get married oh.

Speaker 1 44:36

What, oh? Should I tell her the story of the time you spent the night? Oh?

Speaker 2 44:39

my God. Yes, you already said that. You have to tell me.

Speaker 1 44:43

So my husband travels for work sometimes. So this week, for example, he's in Orlando and I've got two kids and our guest room is in the basement and it's terrifying. There's no windows, don't you love?

Speaker 3 44:56

that. No, I hate it. You sleep like a champ. I have to see the sky, like my whole, because it was a garage. I have sliding glass doors, big windows everywhere on my bottom floor and essentially anywhere that I'm sitting or laying down I can see the sky.

Speaker 1 45:12

So in a dungeon hole, I don't see that in my guest room. Yeah, no. So my kids don't like it when they go to bed and I'm not upstairs, so Tess will often spend the night when my husband is away, which sounds? Don't even start. It's, yeah, it's, there's nothing.

Speaker 3 45:32

Stop.

Speaker 2 45:32

You're going to make it. I know, hey, I know, hey, no judgment. I already, I've already made it weird, no judgment.

Speaker 1 45:36

So anyway she spent the night and we were watching tv in my room and she's laying in my bed.

Speaker 3 45:43

Why are we talking? I?

Speaker 1 45:44

don't know. I know I should stop talking, but you, you're making me tell the story no, I want to hear it. Keep going, don't so one of my, my youngest daughter, harper, came in.

Speaker 3 45:53

She was probably seven or eight at the time and she first of all okay, I'm gonna cut this off like so, we're joking around and we were. I don't like the dungeon hole joking around well, like in the bed, what, what?

Speaker 3 46:08

no, that's what I'm saying. I'm saying I was spending the night Husband's out of town. She's like, hey, can you spend the night? Like do you want to spend the night out here, cause I live an hour away from her? And so I was like sure, and then I don't like the dungeon hole. And she's like you can just sleep in my room. And I was like okay, and I'm like on Ben's side of the bed and like we're not touching, and I'm like, yeah, we're watching a show and I'm like already uncomfortable yeah.

Speaker 3 46:31

And I'm already uncomfortable because I've got like I feel like I'm laying in like Ben's you know, dead skin flakes and like his dumb Android charger is next to me.

Speaker 2 46:40

Oh not.

Speaker 3 46:40

Android. I mean, I love Android. No, I'm just kidding, I don't care of time, but I'm sitting there feeling all awkward and stuff and then we're, but then we literally start watching something and her daughter comes in and she just like does a double take. Yeah, she's like um, why are you in daddy's spot? And I was like I'm I just. And then Amanda was like this is going to scar, and I was like no why am I saying this now? I wanted this conversation to stop. I want a new story.

Speaker 1 47:09

Yeah, but it wasn't anything weird, it wasn't? Weird, but then I was thinking about it from her perspective, from my child's perspective, and she's going to have this memory of walking in her parents' bedroom and seeing her mom's friend in bed with her mom. I hate every moment of this, I know, and it's.

Speaker 2 47:30

It sounds so awful but it was so insane, it wasn't, it wasn't yeah.

Speaker 3 47:35

We were just like hanging out watching TV because my kids, but then Amanda made it awful because then she brought it up right after I was like settling into you know Ben's dead skin flakes and I was like, okay, fine.

Speaker 2 47:49

And then she's like man, we just scarred Harper and I was like I'm going back to the hole, the dungeon hole. I'll sleep down there. I don't think there's anything wrong, like I've slept with my girlfriend's bed. It's fine. I can see how, especially when you got your like kiddos and it's just like oh no.

Speaker 3 48:01

And I'm a cuddler. Yeah don't do that I think that that's why, actually, now that I said that out loud, that's probably why it's because I'm a cuddler. Like I'll you know, I was holding her hand earlier and like there's nothing weird about that for me, or are you guys?

Speaker 2 48:13

giving me like Ariana Grande and I can't remember her Cynthia, and they're like hold my finger. You guys are giving me that vibe right now. Oh, the girls on Wicked.

Speaker 3 48:21

Yeah, sort of that makes sense your finger, oh, please.

Speaker 2 48:25

Not here, ladies, not here, I know what you're capable of.

Speaker 3 48:31

Oh my gosh. But I think that's why you know I'm a cuddler. Like me and my kids, we are constantly cuddling, and all the time. Yeah.

Speaker 2 48:40

And I'm the opposite. I'm the opposite too. I can't do that Really.

Speaker 3 48:43

Like don't touch. I am a a horse camp one time together and we were talking about like horse uh, etiquette, and Amanda asked like they were like you've got to like be aware the lady that was running. It was like you got to be aware of, like your space or like whatever. And Amanda's like what do you mean by that?

Speaker 2 49:03

And I was like well, like you're, you know how you're getting comfortable when I do this and I like gave her a big bear hug and she was like please get off. I was like I'm just going to stay here a little bit longer, all right?

Speaker 1 49:18

Well, I loved hearing all these stories, horse etiquette, awkward moments in the bed oh, we do all things together.

Speaker 2 49:22

Yeah, real estate, I love it. Any last parting words, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Speaker 3 49:29

We know what we're doing when it comes to real estate and the markets. We're weird. We'll have fun and we'll get it done.

Speaker 1 49:34

We will definitely have fun.

Speaker 3 49:35

Oh, boom.

Speaker 1 49:36

Yes, we're weird, we're fun, we'll get it done.

Speaker 2 49:39

Save that one. It's recorded. What? No, this is recorded in case you forget.

Speaker 3 49:45

Yes, Weird we're fun, We'll get it done. We're weird. We'll have fun, but we'll get it done.

Speaker 2 49:52

We gotta work on that. Let's think this through.

Speaker 3 49:53

Don't stress Paul Test and be a fan of a man, duh.

Final Thoughts and Wrap

Speaker 2 49:56

Duh, I love it. Thank you so much. I appreciate you both coming here today. Thank you, yeah, it was fun. Thank you.