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Alex S.:                             When you sold your last house, did you do it responsibly?

Heather Rowe:                 Well, that is what you can expect the next time you list your home, if you choose eXp Realty and here to tell us more about this new method of selling homes is Kevin Wood. Good to have you here, Kevin.

Kevin Wood:                    Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Heather Rowe:                 This is new to a lot of people. It was new to me a couple of months ago when I heard about this. So what is responsible home buying and why is it so important?

Kevin Wood:                      I believe that people who are buying a house, they know their personal finances better than anybody. And oftentimes when you’re going to get financing for a new home or a resale home, you’re going to shop with a lender and that lender is going to get you pre-approved. And maybe the lender after pulling your credit and income, they’re going to see that you can afford $1,800 a month. Well oftentimes, people have been renting for two or three years before they buy and they’ve been paying $1,300 a month. So being responsible is like really sticking with what you’re comfortable with, not what you’re pre-approved for. And the reason why that’s important is buying a house is exciting, it’s fun, it’s emotional. And oftentimes people will throw caution to the wind when they see that perfect house and just throw the budget out the window.

Heather Rowe:                 Easy to get carried away.

Kevin Wood:                    Exactly.

Alex S.:                             And often there are people who enable that behavior and they don’t try to sort of moderate how they’re going to spend their money and how they’re going to invest in their home. So why should a home buyer work with someone like you? I’m assuming you’re going to help them make the right decision.

Kevin Wood:                    Right, so we take the time to really lay the groundwork of what the home buying process is, what to expect and when. So when they do find that perfect house, they’re prepared. They know what was going to happen. So there’s no surprises. That’s why we do that.

Heather Rowe:                 Who is your typical client, would you say? Who do you serve most?

Kevin Wood:                    Most of the time I work with a lot of first time home buyers. And I also work with a good number of seniors and the elderly, too.

Alex S.:                             And why do you enjoy helping seniors and elderly? I imagine, unfortunately, they’re the ones that are preyed upon the most, right? So you do the opposite. You help them get the right deal.

Kevin Wood:                    So with seniors and especially the elderly, they need more than just a realtor. They need someone who’s going to be patient and understanding, but also is going to take the time to understand what their needs are, but also help them and their sons and daughters make smart decisions about what they should and should not do to the house to prepare it for sale. Because a lot of times what happens with the elderly especially is their son or daughter live someplace else. So they’re really flying solo here, trying to deal with a house that they need to move out of. There’s a lot of belongings and things like that, and they need other professionals to help. And I work with a lot of other professionals who can serve them.

Heather Rowe:                 Right. I think a lot of us just end up on Google or we start asking people and they say, oh, the kitchen’s the most important part and you really should just bulldoze this part or put in new cabinets. Or maybe that’s not the way to go. Right?

Kevin Wood:                    Right.

Heather Rowe:                 But we’re talking about two different spectrums, though. You have the new home buyer who comes in and maybe sees the potential and maybe they do want to rip out the entire kitchen or something like that, or and you do have the polar opposite of that spectrum, the older people. So why do you choose those two different ages?

Kevin Wood:                     That’s a really good question. Most would think that there’s not a lot in common between those two clients. But there actually, there really is, because a first time home buyer and a person who is probably going to sell their last home, there’s a lot of emotion that’s going on there. For a first time home buyer, they’re a little anxious and probably a little scared and a little bit of fear there. Whereas that last time home seller, they’re also really emotional about maybe moving into assisted living or moving into a home with their family. So there’s a lot in common and I’m patient and calm and I just take the time with people. And I think that’s why I enjoy working with them so much.

Alex S.:                              And that patience and that calmness is years of experience that you have and that’s what you bring to the table. But you also have developed a network of people. So talk about some of the professionals you work with that really sort of assist in this process.

Kevin Wood:                      The most common people I like to work with are senior placement consultants, also private case managers. And then in addition to that are social workers. And that’s just a great relationship with people and I like to meet more of them because we work with the elderly especially, and seniors by choice, because we love to serve them. And that’s why I do it. So that’s one of the main reasons why I like to connect with more people who do that same thing.

Heather Rowe:                   Yeah. So you’re really taking care of your clients here. You’re branching out, making sure they’re covered in all different aspects of their life.

Kevin Wood:                       Exactly.

Heather Rowe:                    I’m sure you hear that from people who you’ve helped before.

Kevin Wood:                       Absolutely. Yes. That’s something we hear all the time is we just take the time to understand people’s needs and just satisfy them completely. So.

Alex S.:                               And we’ve all seen the truck. We saw a photo of it, too. That’s a nice perk of working with eXp, right?

Kevin Wood:                      It is. Yes. The moving truck, it’s a great tool because people use it. Whether you’re buying or selling. Usually if you’re selling a home, you’re probably buying or moving someplace else, too. So.

Alex S.:                               Well, it’s good to know that you have someone behind you with a lot of experience. Again, somebody who’s going to help you make the right decision and get into the perfect home for you. So Kevin Wood, nice to see you.

Kevin Wood:                       Thank you. Thanks for having me on today. I appreciate it.

Alex S.:                                And if you let the Wood Group with eXp Realty, Tucson buyers sell your home, you’ll get to use their moving truck, like we were saying, for free, and you’ll also get a free home inspection. If you want more information, visit the Woodgrouptucson.com or call 520-260-3123.

***UPDATE: The FREE Home Inspection Offer has EXPIRED as of January 2020.***