How to Score on Your Next Real Estate Move in a Changing Market

Like a champion football player, you can score well buying or financing real estate when you pay attention to the market and move on the opportunity that puts you on the scoreboard. 

#JoGarner #MortgageExpert #memphismortgage shares Cost to Wait scenario and realtor #SilvanaPiadade #midsouthrealtor discuss the unique challenges and opportunities during the government shutdown and more.   

#TomKing and #AllenMcCool #memphisappraisers give their professional insights on the MidSouth real estate market and what home values are doing. 

Subscribe for weekly Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe podcasts and show notes at www.JoGarner.com  

#realestatemarket #midsouthhomesales #memphisrefinance #memphismortgage #memphisrealtor #costtowait #creativefinancing 

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1^st segment 9 minutes LET’S GET STARTED…(Jo) (Good morning, Memphis!  Welcome to our internet listeners and podcast listeners across the 50 states! . You’re on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator.  You can connect with me at www.JoGarner.com. Our topic today  is How to Score on Your Next Real Estate Move in a Changing Market. Today is October 15^th, 2025.

Introducing Tom King of Bill King Appraisal Company  

(Jo) Back in his normal seat at the microphone is Tom King, appraiser with Bill King company.  Tom has been appraising homes in the Mid-South for over 40 years.  Tom knows the real estate market in the Mid-South. Tom, as an appraiser, you can see our MidSouth real estate market like you are sitting up in the press box looking down on the football field.  (Tom has about 1 minute to share about himself and what he does)

(Tom King introduces Allen McCool of Stephensen and Associates))  

(Allen has about one minute to share with our listeners a little about himself and the services he offers)

(Tom and Allen discuss where we are with home values in the MidSouth this fall.   What home prices are doing?    Where we are with inventory of homes? What trends they are seeing with  homeowners buying a primary home, investors buying and people refinancing?  ) any uptick since mortgage rates started falling 2-3 months ago?   3 min

(Jo) From the mortgage desk, we are seeing a changing real estate market all over the country.    Mortgage rates started falling about 2 and a half months ago and are today at an 11 to 12-month low.  Forecasters like Freddie Mac and MBS Highway believe mortgage rates will hover at around the mid to low 6’s through 2025.   This has been a game changer for first-time homebuyers who have been sitting on the bench waiting for mortgage rates to move down to the mid to low 6’s.  We are there today with a lot of programs.  It sure changes the field for people who have owned their homes for years and need to move but have felt they could not justify selling their home and giving up their much lower mortgage rates. 

Like a good football player, you may have set a plan for the mortgage rate you want or the price limit you won’t exceed when you buy a home.  Good for you for having a plan and keeping yourself in the affordable zone on a home purchase or mortgage refinance.   The situation has changed on the field though.   With the lower mortgage rates, more inventory and some sellers willing to help buyers pay their closing costs—let’s do a quick reassessment. Can you tweak your play and score a better deal buying a home or refinancing your mortgage?

In the game of football, Peyton Manning was known for suddenly switching the play at the last second. He would see the look of the defensive line and realize, hey, we need a different play and would call it out right at the scrimmage line.  His pre-snap routine was legendary, and he frequently used decoy calls to confuse the defense. He famously once used opponents’ wives’ names as audibles to gain a mental edge. 

Are you thinking about buying a home?   What is holding you back?  The stable real estate market and much lower mortgage rates may be a unique pocket of opportunity where you can score. 

Are you holding off buying a home because you don’t have the down payment? There are several down payment assistance loans for first-time homebuyers.  There are some assistance programs and 100% programs for you if you are NOT a first-time home buyer too. 

Are you wanting to sell your home but you are reluctant to give up the low mortgage rate you got several years ago?  Let’s talk about ways you can still put points on the score board and feel good about your selling your old home and buying the next one. We can explore some little-known tools you can use. 

Call me and let’s explore some ways you may be able to save thousands of dollars with a refinance, combining higher-interest rate debt into one mortgage. 

I want to hear your story.  Call me or text me at 901 482-0354   www.JoGarner.com   We can find the right mortgage and make the mortgage process easy. 

 

OUTRO: You’re on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator. What do YOU want to accomplish with YOUR mortgage?  I can make the mortgage process EASY for you with the right mortgage. Connect with me at JoGarner.com   When we come back, we will hearing more real estate appraisers Tom King of Bill King Company and Allen McCool of Stephenson and Associates.    Also joining us, Silvana Piadade of EXP Realty will be sharing some of her insights.   

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    2nd segment 9:18 am – 9:30 am 12 min

2nd segment is after 9:15 break from about 9:18Am to 9:30 AM break

 

Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe, we are talking about 

How to Score on Your Next Real Estate Move in a Changing Market. 

I’m your host,  Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,.   I want to hear your story.  We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY.  Connect with me at JoGarner.com

Tom King, appraiser with Bill King Company  (901) 487-6989

Allen McCool, appraiser with Stephenson and Associates 

Here’s our Talk Shoppe Business Tip coming up with Realtor Silvana Piadade. 

 

LET’S TALK SHOP—TALK SHOPPE’S BUSINESS TIP FOR REAL ESTATE PROS:

It’s time to talk shop with Talk Shoppe’s Business Tip For   Real Estate Professionals. Talk Shoppe is a marketing company offering free education and networking to anyone interested in real estate or in business. Talk  Shoppe is made possible by the generous financial support of its sponsors and advertisers. For more about Talk Shoppe, go to www.TalkShoppe.com (shoppe)  For our Talk Shoppe Business Tip today we have Talk Shoppe sponsor, Silvana Piadade, Realtor with EXP Realtors in West Tennessee and North Mississippi. Silvana, you have a good reputation with your homebuyers and home sellers.  You listen, you care, and you deliver.  Silvana Piadade of EXP Realtors,  what is our Talk Shoppe Business Tip today?  Silvana gives her   tip     (Jo says, “Thanks, Silvana. . How do we contact you?  (901) 647-6661

 

 

Silvana Piadade’s Tip:  USDA Loans – Completely Halted: USDA loans, which are popular with first-time homebuyers because they require no down payment and have low fees, have completely stopped processing. The USDA backed approximately 33,000 loans totaling $6.1 billion in the 2024 fiscal year, and all of these transactions are now on hold.

 

 

 

Silvana Piadade, CRS, ABR, CDPE, MRP, CPRES

Broker

TN Company Lic# 257511

TN Agent Lic# 289316

EXP Realty

Cell 901-647-6661

 

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TOPICS COVERED BY TOM KING, APPRAISER WITH BILL KING COMPANY & ALLEN MCCOOL, APPRAISER WITH STEPHENSON & ASSOCIATES

• How buyer behavior shifts when rates move.
• Local Memphis-area inventory and price adjustments.

2. Appraised Value vs. Market Value

• The difference between what buyers will pay vs. what appraisers will support.
• How rising or falling prices affect mortgage approvals.
• Common surprises in today’s appraisals and how to avoid them.

. Local Insights: The Memphis Market

• Neighborhoods seeing steady appreciation or new construction momentum.
• Buyer migration trends—who’s moving in and why.
• Local economic factors (jobs, infrastructure, small business growth).
  • Here’s what adds lasting value.”
•  

Other topics? 

 

 

 

^3rd SEGMENT 9:35 AM-9:45AM) 13 min

 

• For Did You Know  today…
• Who am I?  I have witnessed both first and last on the gridiron.
• The first football game played here was between Memphis State University and Ole Miss on September 18^th, 1965.
• This place is where Legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant coached his last game in 1982.
• I was first called Memphis Memorial Stadium……..and changed my name in 1977
• And now YOU KNOW I am ……. Simmons Bank Memorial Stadium in Memphis, TN.  
• This bit of history from Shelby County Historian Jimmy Ogle
•  
• Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe, we are talking about 
• How to Score on Your Next Real Estate Move in a Changing Market. 
• I’m your host,  Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,.   I want to hear your story.  We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY.  Connect with me at JoGarner.com

Tom King, appraiser with Bill King Company  (901) 487-6989

Allen McCool, appraiser with Stephenson and Associates (his number)

Silvana Piadade, Realtor with EXP (901)  647-6661

 

 

 

 

TOPICS COVERED BY JO GARNER, LICENSED MORTGAGE OFFICER and REALTOR SILVANA PIADADE

 

• COST TO WAIT IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE INTEREST RATE

Jack and Jenny -work associates in the corporate office in the year 2024

Jack and Jenny had been work associates in adjoining cubicles at the corporate office for over 3 years.  Both Jack and Jenny had individual plans to one day become a homeowner.   Jack’s realtor regularly sent him information about homes for sale within a 10-minute drive from the office.   Jenny wanted to live close to the office too and her realtor would send information about homes for sale too. 

Jack held off going to look at homes for a while because he said, “These mortgage rates are so much higher than they were a few years ago.  I think these rates are going to come down, and until that happens, I am just going to wait about buying a home.”

Jenny was hoping the mortgage rates AND the prices would come down, so she kept paying rent each month to her landlord. 

They both ended up buying in the same neighborhood but one year apart.   Jack purchased his home in the fall of 2024 for about $300K and locked in a 30-year fixed rate in the high 6’s to low 7’s.

Jenny waited until fall of 2025 when mortgage rates dropped by about a half point to mid 6’s to low 6’s.  

BUT… what was the cost to Jenny  to wait?    Home prices had gone up about 4% in that neighborhood over the last 12 months and Jenny had to pay about $12,000 more for the same size house as Jack bought. 

Even though Jenny had a lower interest rate, her loan amount was higher than Jack’s because the price was higher.  In the end Jenny paid about $25 less per month on her mortgage payment, but she had about $12,000 less equity than Jack was enjoying across the street.   

Noboby has a crystal ball to determine the future of home values or mortgage rates, but if the trajectory we are seeing now is any indicator of what is to come, and mortgage rates do not move down more than an additional half point next year, the is a COST TO WAIT to buy a home. 

 

How to Score a Winning Play With Your Financing

If you really want to feel like a winner when you buy your home or refinance one, make sure the mortgage payment is AFFORDABE for you.  You may  have to rearrange some other budgeted items to give yourself some breathing room with your house note, like substituting one product for a less expensive one, bartering stuff with people you know. or other methods. Oh, and make sure you don’t use up your emergency fund.  Money available in your bank account is vital to a happy life.   

Market Momentum: What’s Really Changing?

• (Jo) Interest rate trends—are we stabilizing, rising, or seeing relief?
• (Silvana)  How buyer behavior shifts when rates move.

Winning Strategies for Buyers

• (Jo) Getting preapproved early and locking in rates. 
• (Silvana) Making strong offers without overpaying.
• (Silvana) How to stand out to sellers when competition heats up again.

Smart Moves for Sellers

• (Silvana) Pricing to sell in a changing market.
• (Silvana) Appraisal readiness—repairs and presentation that protect value.
• (Silvana) Timing the sale: what months and market signals to watch.

(JO) The Mortgage Perspective

 

 

• Creative financing tools that help buyers “score” (special government financing with lower-than-market rates for down payment assistance and a lower payment.    100% financing.   Special outside-of-the-box mortgages that offer alternative formulas for calculating income for  self-employed borrowers with good credit ) ( Special low-documentation mortgages designed to help real estate investors get the positive cash flows they need)  
• Hobby Farm loans for those who want to move out to the country and : buy land with a small house and do some hobby farming.

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4^th Segment 9: 48am to 9:56 am   7 min

 

 

(THE SONG COUNTRY ROADS by Sergie Pavkin PLAYING IN BACKGROUND )    INSIGHTS & INSPIRATION

The Wind and the Sail

A young sailor once complained that the wind kept changing direction, making it hard to reach his destination.
His captain smiled and said, “The wind always changes — but it’s the sailor who learns to adjust the sails that makes it home first.”

Moral: You can’t control the market or the rates, but you can adjust your sails — your strategy — to catch the next good wind. Where is the wind changing direction in YOUR life? Its time to change the position of your sails so the wind will carry you to the places you want to go. 

Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe, we are talking about 

How to Score on Your Next Real Estate Move in a Changing Market. 

I’m your host,  Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,.   I want to hear your story.  We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY.  Connect with me at JoGarner.com

Tom King, appraiser with Bill King Company  (901) 487-6989

Allen McCool, appraiser with Stephenson and Associates 

Silvana Piadade, Realtor with EXP (901)   647-6661

REAL ESTATE TIP OF THE WEEK 

Silvana Piadade of EXP Realtry about 1 minute) for a tip from the real estate industry Income and Employment Verification

The IRS may not process tax transcripts or income verifications, which are required for many mortgage applications. This affects both conventional and government-backed loans.

 

 

Tom King and Allen McCool share a tip from the appraisal industry (about 1 minute)

 

• Jo Garner’s tip  Refinancing is back in vogue. With mortgage rates at a 12-month low, this is an opportunity for many borrowers to refinance to a shorter term mortgage. Rates are low enough now for borrowers to score on refinancing their old mortgage and rolling into the new mortgage money to pay off high interest rate credit cards and other high-cost debt.

 

 

 

 

What do YOU want to accomplish with YOUR mortgage?  I have the knowledge and experience. Let’s look at traditional mortgage products, alternative mortgage products and even combinations of products. I can help you get you what you need and make the mortgage process EASY.     Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Officer 901 482-0354   www.JoGarner.com 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:   

Talk Shoppe equips with education, engages by offering connection opportunities between business people and empowers businesses in a supportive community. Talk Shoppe meets every Wednesday 9A-10A CT at Independent Planning Group’s conference room 110 at Clark Tower 5100 Poplar Ave 1^st floor Memphis, TN

(Thank you Ben Hunter 901 660-2912 outstanding Financial Professional at Independent Planning Group for being Talk Shoppe’s location sponsor)

Talk Shoppe on Wednesday October 22nd, 2025 join us to Gary Robinson, a certified mentor for the non-profit S.C.O.R.E. “Introduction to S.C.O.R.E., Resources Available to Help Small Businesses”

Talk Shoppe says thank you to the generous sponsors like Lawren Bogard of Shelby Gardens Memory Care in Cordova.  Lawren Bogard and the Shelby Gardens in Cordova says, “Welcome to the family,” to their residents.  Do you know someone looking for the best home for a loved one needing memory care?  Contact Lawren Bogard at 901 713-1681  ShelbyGardensCordova.com  

Thank you to Talk Shoppe’s sponsor Tim Flesner and Genell Holloway, owners of MidSouth Home Helpers.  MidSouth Home Helpers are Memphis Most Community Awards winners again in 2025 for their excellent non-medical assistance for those needing help with daily living routines (901) 414-9696

Also, retired US Navy Line Commander, Peggy Lau for your generous support of Talk Shoppe’s  business community.  Do you want to take some fabulous vacations paying a bargain price this fall and in 2026?   If you want to know how, call Peggy Lau of Viago Travel 901 289-0747.

SPECIAL NOTE: REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE DOES NOT ENDORSE 100% OF THE CONTENT ON THIS EPISODE.  REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE  RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CONSULT WITH A FINANCIAL, LEGAL OR OTHER CERTIFIED, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL BEFORE ACTING OR INVESTING ON ANYTHING YOU HEAR OR SEE FROM THE CONTENT ON THIS SHOW OR BLOG POSTS. THE INFORMATION WE SHARE ON REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE IS GENERAL IN NATURE MEANT FOR GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND NOT AN OFFER TO LEND.  EXAMPLES GIVEN FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ON REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE AND MOST ARE BASED ON TRUE STORIES BUT WE USE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS AND DO NOT DIRECTLY REFLECT REAL PEOPLE OR EXACT DETAILS IN ANY OF THE SITUATIONS. JO GARNER IS A LICENSED MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATOR. (EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY)

QUOTE CORNER:   

QUOTE CORNER:  Vince Lombardi  “We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.”

 

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CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Songs:    “Waaka Waaka”  Freepd.com  for the Comic Queries;    “Brighter Tomorrows”  From Stocktunes no copyright ;   “Country Roads” Sergie Pavkin public domain music through Pixabay

REJOINDERS:  

 

2. Chuck Bohannon, booking agent for Santa Claus
3. Taylor Morse of Cartridge World of Collierville, TN 901 853-3230

PICK UP YOUR COPY OF “CHOOSING THE BEST MORTGAGE-THE QUICKEST WAY TO THE LIFE YOU WANT” by: JO GARNER

 

An essential guide for real estate professionals and their customers.

 

On Amazon and Barnes and Noble

ABOUT ALLEN MCCOOL, APPRAISER WITH STEPHENSON & ASSOCIATES

Allen McCool is a real estate appraiser with Stephenson and Associates. Holding the SRA designation from the Appraisal Institute, Allen has appraised residential property in Shelby County, TN for over 35 years, serving a variety of clients, including lenders, attorneys, and individuals. Allen applies a wealth of knowledge and analytical skill to each assignment, provides clarity in reporting results, and is a reliable provider of solutions to challenging real estate problems. 901 550-2100

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ABOUT TOM KING, REAL ESTATE APPRAISER

Tom is a well- respected and sought after appraiser in Memphis, Tennessee.  He is a second generation appraiser with 40 years of experience.  He has been elected to the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Board of Directors three times.  

 

Tom is a certified residential appraiser in Tennessee.  He have appraised over 20,000 homes in his career.  A graduate from the University of Tennessee with a degree in real estate, Tom is also a Certified Relocation Professional (CRP).  Tom also has vast experience in dealing appraising real estate for pre-listing sales, cash buyers, divorce settlements, estate settlements. (901) 487-6989

 

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ABOUT JO GARNER-MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER:

 

www.JoGarner.com     (901) 482 0354  jo@jogarner.com  X     @jogarner   NMLS# 757308 

(currently working with Everitt Financial dba Supreme Lending)

ONLINE LOAN APPLICATION :   https://jogarner.supremelendingLO.com 

 “Whatever YOUR  personal priorities are, my job is to help you get the mortgage terms that will give you bragging rights when you talk about it and help you score on  hitting your goals .”

As a mortgage loan officer, my job is to help you get to the  benefits you want from your financing terms.  What is most important to you? I can help you find the financing terms that will help you get to what you want.   What is your comfort level on a house payment? How much are you comfortable paying down,? What type of financing do you need to get the house you want to buy or refinance?

 Different clients have different priorities in life—some are buying their first home with very little down payment funds.  Some are recovering from medical challenges, divorces or preparing to send children to college and some are embarking on a long term goal of buying properties to build rental income.”

 Jo Garner is a mortgage officer with extensive knowledge in helping her clients find the right mortgage program and making the refinance or home purchase mortgage process EASY.  She offers conventional, FHA, VA or other loan programs for primary residences, second homes and investment properties.  

Jo can help you look at rent vs buy, when it makes sense to refinance, how to get the best deal on your home  purchase financing.   

Jo Garner  has been in the real estate/financing business for over 30 years.  She grew up in West Tennessee and got her start in real estate in Portland, Maine where she first began her real estate career. She received her real estate education from the University of Southern Maine  and was personally mentored in San Diego, California  by Robert G. Allen, author of Nothing Down, Creating 

*Wealth and The Challenge.

On moving back to West Tennessee in 1987, she went into business buying and selling discounted owner-financed notes secured on real estate.  In 1990 Jo went to work for a residential mortgage company and has been a mortgage loan officer for over 30 years.