Profit Paths in Real Estate: From Home Buying, Refinancing and Rental Income

“Profit Paths in Real Estate: From Home Buying, Refinancing and Rental Income” 

 

You might be only need to make a slight change on your financial path with real estate.  One change could make the positive change that gets you quicker to the life you want.  Check out this show for ideas you need to decide on the right path for yourself.   

Subscribe to get weekly Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe podcasts with show notes at www.JoGarner.com 

 

Host: #JoGarner #MortgageExpert #LoanOfficer (901) 482-0354 

Co-Host: #AllenMcCool Stephenson & Associates #memphisAppraiser 901 550-2100

Special guest: #StephanieJonesBourland Evernest Property Management #memphisPropertyManagement 901 660 2812

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

#homebuyer #bestrefinance #homeappraisal #propertymanagement #realtor #memphisrefinance “

 

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       Rental Income.”  Thank you to real estate attorneys Shelley Rothman and Rob Draughon of Griffin, Clift, Everton and Maschmeyer Law Firm for sponsoring this episode of Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe.  For the title work and closing on your home purchase or refinance, contact Rob and Shelley at 901 752-1133.

 

Introducing Real Estate Appraiser Allen McCool of Stephenson Associates Appraisal Service 

 

Real estate appraiser  Allen McCool of Stephenson and Associates is back in the studio again.

With mortgage rates lower than last year, I bet you are staying busy appraising homes.  (Allen

McCool has about 1.5 Minutes introducing himself and talking about the services he offers)

 

 

Put your entries into categories of expenses like Rent or Mortgage category, utilities, groceries, etc.    Don’t forget about the expenses you pay once or twice a year like car tags and insurance.   After a few hours, you will have a fairly accurate idea of what your real income is and what your real expenses are. Now you are in a position to know what expenses to cut, which expenses can be substituted for something less expensive without giving up the joy the service or product brings to your life.  

Here is an example of how a homeowner can use equity in their home to restructure their finances to spend less and earn more. 

Henry the Homeowner was talking with his financial advisor, looking for ways to earn more and spend less.     He owned his home worth about $400,000 and only owed about $100,000 on it with a P&I payment of $720 per month.  He had hit a rough patch in his life a couple of years ago and amassed about $50,000 in   20% interest compounding credit card debt and the $15,000 loan for a roof replacement from the contractor at 12% interest.  Henry was paying about $1800 per month for this other debt PLUS his mortgage payment.   The credit card debt balances just kept going up and not down,  even though he was no longer making a lot of purchases on the credit cards. How could he get off this road of mounting debt? 

One path open to him was to refinance his mortgage and roll in the $65K in other debt to one mortgage payment of $1,077 P&I plus taxes and insurance. He would reduce his monthly payments leaving his bank account by over $1,000 per month and stop the compounding debt balances on the credit cards. 

What could Henry do with the $1,000 per month he was saving by refinancing?   Henry had gone back to a 30- year mortgage on the refinance, so he wanted to lower the mortgage term to less than the months remaining on the mortgage he paid off, so he allotted $400 of the $1000 per month toward automatic prepayments to principal on his new mortgage.  He used the rest of the savings to invest and spent some of it on vacations and other qualify experiences with his family. 

This is one scenario of how Henry Homeowner took a slightly different path to eliminate the compounding of debt and instead have his finances work for him to compound wealth. 

What can YOU do today to turn your finances around to bring you and your loved ones to a better life?   

Make your plan. Let’s work your plan.  If the deal works for you today, let’s do it today. 

I’m Jo Garner, your lender for life.  Connect with me today at www.JoGarner.com . I can help you find the right mortgage product and make the process EASY.   

 

(Jo) Allen McCool, real estate appraiser with Stephenson and Associates- you have a lot of wisdom in the area of home values in the MidSouth.  We have 3 or 4 minutes before we go to break.  What are your observations on this topic today for us in the Mid South? (Allen has about 3-4 minutes before break to start sharing some of his topics)

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 be hearing more from Real Estate Appraiser Allen McCool with Stephenson and Associates.  After this break, Stephanie Jones Bourland of Evernest Property Management will be joining us.  See you back in just a moment. 

 

 

2nd segment is after first  break  8 minutes 50 seconds

 

( Waaka Waaka song in background ) COMIC QUERIES (you probably already know the answer, but we will ask anyway 

 

Riddle:

There once was a renter quite wise,
Who grew tired of watching rent rise.
Instead of each check
Helping someone else’s deck,
He chose walls that would fatten his prize.

 

ANSWER:   HOMEOWNERSHIP

Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe we are talking about “Profit Paths in Real Estate: From Home Buying, Refinancing and Rental Income.” 

I’m your host,  Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,.   We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY on a traditional mortgage, on special programs and outside-of-the-box mortgage programs too.   Connect with me at JoGarner.com

Real Estate Appraiser Allen McCool of Stephenson and Associates  901 763-2100

 

TALKSHOPPE TIP

Stephanie Jones Bourland of Evernest Property Management

901 660-2812 

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 financial support of its sponsors. For more about Talk Shoppe, go to www.TalkShoppe.com (shoppe) For tip today we have sponsor, Stephanie Jones Bourland of Evernest Property Management. Stephanie, you offer your landlords peace of mind managing their income-producing properties. Stephanie Jones Bourland of Evernest Property Management LLC , what is our Talk Shoppe Tip today? 

Tip:  1: The Mindset Shift (From “Seller” to “CEO”)

Goal: Validate the frustration of a home not selling while re-framing it as a “Profit Path.”

“If your home hasn’t sold, don’t look at it as a failure; look at it as a forced promotion to CEO of your own real estate portfolio.”

Most people who can’t sell feel “stuck.” They view the home through the lens of their old life—sentimental value, what they need to get out of it, and frustration.

To find the profit path, you have to kill the homeowner’s ego. You are now an Accidental Landlord.

Stop looking at “Zestimates” for sales and start looking at the Cash-on-Cash Return. In 2026, single-family rental demand is outpacing multifamily. You likely have a legacy mortgage rate (the 3-4% range) that an investor would kill for. That low interest rate is your greatest hidden asset—it’s the engine that turns a “stuck” house into a cash-flow machine while someone else pays down your equity.

 

 

____________________________________________________________

 

TOPICS COVERED BY ALLEN MCCOOL OF STEPHENSON & ASSOCIATES 

 

As an appraiser often doing work for lenders, a typical scenario involves valuing a property two ways: first as-is, and secondly subject-to renovation or addition. This same scope-of-work can also benefit an individual investor in decision-making.

-Some investors may just need an individual component of value, for example, finding the market rent for a property.

-Many investors are already savvy regarding the market readings, and may simply need an accurate ANSI-compliant measurement of a home’s living area or square footage, particularly on large homes with unusual configurations.

-Many homeowners face the question of should I sell, or keep the home and renovate. Should I make repairs to sell to an owner-occupant, or should I sell as-is to an investor. In some areas, land value is an important part of the decision.

-In the litigation or public policy arena, sometimes hypotheticals are important. For example, it could be relevant to find the value of a property if a certain zoning change could be obtained.

-In the area of estate settling or planning, it could be important to reach back in time to find what the value of a property was at the time it was inherited.

_____________________________________

 

3^RD SEGMENT 12 minutes

 

 

• For Did You Know  today…(see if you can guess the answer before we do)
• Question: What Memphis tourist site started as a ghost town and became a profitable success?
• Revitalization of this tourist site started happening in the 1980’s: By the late 1970s, Memphis was in an economic downturn, with downtown suffering from urban flight. This historic place was essentially a ghost town. The city partnered with developers (including Performa/John Elkington) in 1982 to revive it and get it on a profitable path, turning it into one of the city’s top tourist attractions, despite initial skepticism and long-term, turbulent growth.
• Answer: Beale Street

 

Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe we are talking about “Profit Paths in Real Estate: From Home Buying, Refinancing and Rental Income.” 

I’m your host,  Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,.   We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY on a traditional mortgage, on special programs and outside-of-the-box mortgage programs too.   Connect with me at JoGarner.com

Real Estate Appraiser Allen McCool of Stephenson and Associates  901-763-2100

          Stephanie Jones Bourland of Evernest Property Management (901) 660-2812

 

 

 

 

 

TOPICS COVERED BY JO GARNER, LICENSED MORTGAGE OFFICER

 

How to Find the Path to Profits in Real Estate

Are you currently renting your home?  If you plan to move out of the geographic area in the next 24 months, it probably makes sense for you to rent.    But, if you are trying to decide to rent or buy a home, here are some compelling reasons to consider taking the path to homeownership. 

The National Association of Realtors last year did a study.  They found that the typical U.S. homeowner currently has a net worth of $430,000, according to the most recent Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finance. In comparison, the net worth of the average renter is just $10,000.To put it simply—the average homeowner is 43 times wealthier than the typical renter.

Appreciation (Property Value Increases)

Path: Buy property and its value rises over time.

Example:
Someone buys a home for $250,000. Five years later the market value is $325,000.
That owner has $75,000 in increased value (before costs).

Real estate historically tends to increase in value over time, especially in growing areas.

2. Equity Build-Up (Loan Paydown)

Path: Each mortgage payment reduces the loan balance, increasing ownership.

Example:
If someone pays down $30,000 of their mortgage principal over several years, that is $30,000 more equity they own in the home. If you make one Principal and Interest payment toward prepayment to principal every year starting the first year, you can eliminate seven to eight years of the 30 year term. You never have to make the interest portion of the payments on the prepaid principal. That is saving you thousands of dollars you never have to pay. 

3. Rental Income (Cash Flow)

Path: Buy rental real estate and get rental income from tenants. You can start buying profitable rental properties and eventually have the passive income you need to live the life you want. Look for successful real estate investors who have a good reputation in your area who can give you good advice. Memphis and other cities have local real estate investment groups where you can start your search.

 

6. Tax Advantages

Real estate has some of the most favorable tax treatment of any asset class. Check with your certified financial advisor on your personal situation. 

7. Leveraging Other People’s Money

Real estate allows investors to control a large asset with relatively small capital.

Example

$300,000 home
10% down = $30,000 invested

If value rises to $360,000, the $60,000 gain is a 200% return on the original down payment (before costs).

8. Converting a Home to an Investment Property

Many people profit by:

1. Buying a starter home
2. Moving to another home later
3. Turning the first home into a rental

This builds a portfolio over time.

9. Refinancing Strategies – Once you build up enough equity in your home, you have the option to use that equity to get rid of higher interest debt or to invest in creating other income sources.  

 

 “Not Much to “Multi-Millionaire”

 

I have several Hall-of-Fame mortgage customers that started with not much money and not much income.  Over my over 30 years in the mortgage industry I have seen these customers go from rags to riches over time.  They set a budget for themselves, spending less than they earned. By having your investments automatically deducted from your income like a 401k retirement fund will eliminate the temptation to spend the investment money on something else.  

 

These mortgage customers   took a number of different paths.    Some simply lived within their budget, invested each month into places that grew in value and later provided them a nice income.

Others started by renting a bonus room in their current home for a while to get the mortgage paid off quicker.   One of my military veteran customers would buy a home every time he got stationed in a different place.  When it was time to move, he would turn the property into a rental and kept doing that until he had accumulated a big enough passive real estate income source that he could retire in high style.   Now I follow him on a social media site. He regularly posts pictures of himself and on a tropical beach or on a first-class cruise somewhere.  

 

One of the common traits of these self-made millionaires goes back to spending less than you earn, invest and be a charitable giver.   

 

(Stephanie Jones Bourland and Allen McCool to contribute their wisdom  and insights)

 

MAKE YOUR PLAN. LET’S WORK YOUR PLAN. IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, LET’S DO IT TODAY.  I can make the mortgage process easy. Connect with me at www.JoGarner.com   You can email me at Jo@JoGarner.com or call me at (901) 482-0354 

 

 

4^th Segment  8 minutes and 50 seconds

 

 

(THE SONG UpBeat Inspirations  PLAYING IN BACKGROUND )    INSIGHTS & INSPIRATIONS

In the early 1970s, a young actor was so broke he lived in a tiny apartment and could barely feed his family. At one point, he was so desperate that he sold his beloved dog outside a liquor store for $25 just to get by.

Then one night he watched a boxing match featuring Muhammad Ali. Inspired, this man went home, locked himself in his apartment, and in about 20 hours wrote the script for a movie.

Producers loved the script and offered him hundreds of thousands of dollars for it—but only if a famous actor played the lead. This young actor had almost nothing, but he believed in his vision. He refused to sell unless he could star in the film himself.

Eventually the studio agreed. The movie “Rocky” became the biggest hit of 1976 and won three Oscars. And with his first real paycheck, Sylvester Stallone tracked down the man who bought his dog and paid $15,000 to bring him home.

The lesson? Sometimes the most powerful step toward success is believing in your vision and taking the action steps toward making your dreams come true. 

What can YOU do TODAY to take a slightly different path that will cut your costs and convert that money to wealth building strategies.   Sometimes the smallest change can make the biggest impact to improve your future and move you closer to the life you want. 

Let’s explore the right mortgage to help you get quicker to the life you want.  For your home purchase mortgage or refinance, let me help make the process EASY for you.

Call or text me today at 901 482-0354.  I can assist you to pushing through to your win with your mortgage  www.JoGarner.com 

 

Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe we are talking about “Profit Paths in Real Estate: From Home Buying, Refinancing and Rental Income.” 

 

I’m your host,  Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,.   We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY on a traditional mortgage, on special programs and outside-of-the-box mortgage programs too.   Connect with me at JoGarner.com

 

Real Estate Appraiser Allen McCool of Stephenson and Associates  901 763-2100

          Stephanie Jones Bourland of Evernest Property Management  (901) 660-2812

 

 

REAL ESTATE TIP OF THE WEEK

 

 

STEPHANIE JONES BOURLAND OF EVERNEST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SHARES A TIP ( about 1 minute)

Tip:   Precision Pricing (The “Goldilocks” Strategy)

Goal: Provide actionable, data-driven advice on how to price the rental before it hits the market.

• “In the rental world, the most expensive mistake you can make isn’t $100 too low—it’s $100 too high.”
• The Math: If you overprice your home by $200 and it sits vacant for just one month, you’ve lost $2,000+. To make that back, you’d have to collect that extra $200 for ten months just to break even on the vacancy.
• The 2026 Strategy: Don’t just look at active listings on Zillow—those are the houses not renting. Look at “Leased” comps from the last 60 days.
• The “Vibe” Premium: Modern tenants in 2026 aren’t just paying for square footage; they are paying for convenience. If you want top-of-market rent, don’t just list the “specs.” Highlight “Remote-Ready” features (high-speed zones, quiet nooks) or “Pet-Friendly” perks.
• The Golden Rule: Price it to be the best value in a 2-mile radius. You want 10 applications in 48 hours so you can pick the best tenant, rather than waiting 30 days and being forced to take the only person who applied.

 

 

 

ALLEN MCCOOL OF STEPHENSON & ASSOCIATES SHARES A TIP (901) 550-2100  Hire a pro when you are doing a real estate sale, purchase, or becoming a landlord.      Hire a pro and learn from them.    Later on you can use the knowledge you learned from the pros  to help yourself later. 

 

Jo Garner’s tip :   

 

What do you want to accomplish with YOUR mortgage?  Whether you are buying a house or refinancing,  let’s explore the best mortgage product that will get you quicker to the life you want.  It might be a traditional government-backed mortgage, a special mortgage product or an outside-the-box, in-house mortgage.

Here is a fact about getting a mortgage:   The higher your credit scores, the lower costs you pay for your loan.    Connect with me today and we can do a “soft pull” credit report that does not negatively affect your scores.    We can work together on a strategy to get you the mortgage that you can brag about.

Call or text me today at 901 482-0354  or go to 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 March 11^th, 2026 9AM CT “Upcoming Tax Changes-How Does the One Big Beautiful Bill Affect Your Business”  presented by Enrolled Agent   Ken Sullivan, Tax Matters Solved, LLC.

Thank you to Zack Roberts, Digital Marketing with ZRCreations for your Talk Shoppe sponsorship.  For saving you time and developing more profits streams for your business, contact Zack Roberts at ZRCreations.com 

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:  Robert Kiyosaki: “It’s not how much money you make, but how much money you keep, how hard it works for you, and how many generations you keep it”

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND CREDITS

REJOINDERS:  

1. Pat Goldstein, Realtor with Crye Leike in Tennessee and Mississippi 901 606-2000
2. Craig Jennings of Avalon Capital, Memphis, TN hard money investment lending 901 417-8427
3. Silvana Piadade, EXP Realtor in Tennessee and Mississippi 901 647-6661

Transitional Music: First Segment    “WAAKA WAAKA” (PD) for Comic Queries;    “Brighter Tomorrows” by Stocktunes for Did You Know segment;  “Upbeat Inspiration” by Ikoliksaj for Insights and Inspiration segment.

INTRO AND OUTRO THEME MUSIC   “Country Roads” by Sergie Pavkin

 

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,  , provides clarity in reporting results, and is a reliable provider of solutions to challenging real estate problems. 901 550-2100

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.