A Jaded Gay
A Jaded Gay
111. Opening Doors: Navigate the Real Estate Rainbow (with Ryan Windt)
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In today's challenging real estate market, aspiring home buyers grapple with rising prices, limited inventory, and intense competition, making the pursuit of homeownership more difficult than ever. To add a layer of complexity, gay home buyers may encounter challenges such as discrimination, limited representation, and concerns about acceptance in certain neighborhoods, highlighting the ongoing need for a more inclusive and affirming real estate environment.
In this episode, Ryan Windt, a Philadelphia-based real estate agent, joins us to share key factors that LGBTQ+ people should be mindful of when house hunting, along with homebuying tips and myths.
Related Episodes:
- Listen to Episode 24. Gay Villages: Won't You Be My Gaybor?
- Listen to Episode 106. Long Live Queer Nightlife (with Amin Ghaziani)
Additional Resources:
Snarky Opener (0:00)
Ryan Windt
I ask my buyers all the time, like, how are you feeling? How do you feel in this space? How do you feel on the street?
I think realtors wear a lot of hats, and like, sometimes therapist is one of them. And I think how do you feel is definitely a fair question to ask you.
Episode Introduction (0:34)
Rob Loveless
Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay. I'm Rob Loveless and, today, I am a non-jaded gay because I had a super productive podcasting weekend.
I transcribed like five old episodes, which that might not seem like a lot, but it actually is.
So, as I've been trying to streamline some things with the podcast and add some enhancements here and there, I've been going through and actually working on transcribing old episodes and not just relying on the automatic like captions that come up in the different podcast players, because they're not always accurate.
And I like going through them, because then I can kind of organize them and also create chapter markers.
So, the way I've been doing it is I've been looking at, you know, the most listened to episodes, and working my way backwards, and then also putting together transcripts for the new solo episodes as they come out, just because the guest episodes, I love them, but they are a little bit long, so that takes a little bit more time to transcribe them.
So, my plan is to keep doing the solo ones going forward and start working my way backwards through the most popular to least popular, and then doing the guest ones in there as well.
But it is a lot of work because I'm re-listening to these episodes which talk about a walk down memory lane. I heard like my first one, and the audio was not as great.
And I listened to some from, you know, a little over a year ago where, I don't know if I was just more anxious at the time or trying to create some kind of, you know, hyper persona, but I was talking way faster that I couldn't even really keep up with it.
And I mean, I talk fast to begin with, so if I can't understand what I'm saying, you know, it's bad.
But anyway, I have to listen through those episodes, make sure all the transcriptions are correct, create the different sections.
Then when I download that, I actually am such a grammar freak, so I'm actually like checking it to make sure all the grammar's as correct as can be, because again, obviously, the podcasts are pretty conversational, so it's not formatted as nicely as my writing.
So, then I do that, then I upload it into the podcast hosting platform, then I create the chapter markers, then I go to my website, and I have to add the transcripts to those episodes there because as the newer episodes come out, it just the website automatically pulls the transcript that's uploaded from the podcast hosting platform.
But for the old ones, it's obviously not going to do that, because those pages are already published.
So, I have to copy and paste it from there too, and then I upload it into my Google Drive, just to make sure that I have it all.
And it's it takes a long time, so the fact that I got five done this weekend, I was really happy about that.
LGBTQ+ Homeownership (2:55)
Rob Loveless
But anyway, moving on from transcriptions to house inspections, I am very excited to have my friend on the episode today joining us.
He's going to be talking to us a little bit about real estate, specifically gay real estate.
I'm sure if you watch any HGTV show or, you know, look up any home decor website, there's obviously a gay somewhere in the room because we just have better taste, and straight people should love us because we increase home values.
But in all seriousness, talking today a little bit about, you know, different aspects of the home buying process, specifically as they relate to being a gay home buyer.
So, I'm really excited for the episode. We are going to get into it, but before we do, let's pull our tarot card.
Tarot (3:36)
Rob Loveless
So, the card for this episode is The Fool in reverse. And this is really exciting because honestly, I don't think I ever really pull The Fool too much in any of my tarot readings.
Anyway, as we've talked about before, The Fool is the first card in the Major Arcana, which signifies big life changes, or chapters.
And the journey starts with The Fool and ends with The World because at the end of life, you know you've experienced everything there is to experience.
So, as we go through the Major Arcana, The Fool takes the lessons of each of the cards with it. However, when pulling The Fool, we're at the start of the journey.
And this card's value is zero. And while zero may sound like an empty value to me, it actually represents a clean slate and the opportunity to begin.
In fact, in numerology, zero is considered an open container containing everything and nothing all at the same time.
Now, while this card traditionally signifies getting ready to begin a new cycle or chapter when we draw The Fool in reverse, it's telling us that we may fear the unknown and are afraid of taking action without knowing the outcome.
And obviously stepping outside of our comfort zone is scary, but it's necessary if we want to grow.
So, to overcome this, we need to make sure we're planning to the best of our ability and assessing our timing to reduce unnecessary risks.
And sometimes we may get impatient, but we need to remember just because something isn't happening now doesn't mean it never will.
And ultimately, we need to trust our intuition and that the universe has our back.
Guest Introduction (5:07)
Rob Loveless
And with that being said, I am very excited to welcome our next guest. He is my good friend and realtor. He helped me find my house, and he's always windting.
Get what I did there, winning, windting? Please welcome Ryan Windt. Hi Ryan. How are you today?
Ryan Windt
Great, Rob, how are you?
Rob Loveless
Doing well. Thanks for coming on the show today.
Very excited to have you come on and share all your house-hunting knowledge with us, but before we get too into it, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, how you identify, your pronouns, all that fun stuff?
Ryan Windt
Yeah, for sure. Well, first of all, thank you for having me on. I really appreciate that. Yeah, so I'm a 31-year-old gay man living in Philadelphia. He/him pronouns.
I have lived in the city for since I was 19, so quite a few years now at this point. I went to Temple University for my undergrad, graduated with a marketing degree, and also have a pretty extensive food and beverage hospitality background.
Rob Loveless
Awesome. And I like to ask all my guests too, are you a jaded or non-jaded gay today and why?
Ryan Windt
Today, probably I would say not jaded surprisingly. Ask me most other days of the week, and I might have a different response for you, but today, I'm gonna say, no.
Rob Loveless
I definitely get that struggle. It fluctuates depending on the day.
Ryan Windt
For sure.
Rob Loveless
Well, you know, as listeners can see from the podcast episode title, we're talking all about real estate today. So, to kick it off, can you tell us all about your career journey to becoming a realtor?
Ryan Windt
Sure. So, it kind of snowballed off of my hospitality background at a table.
The one night a woman who was in the real estate industry, and we connected and had a good a good conversation, and met up a few times, every few months for coffee after that, and I was initially attracted to her former career in the fashion industry, but after a few months of meetings, she convinced me, let's say, to take the exams and or the coursework and take the exams to get my real estate license.
And, yeah, that was kind of how it all started. I think it's been a long journey up to this point.
The beauty of the industry, for me, is you can kind of stop and restart if you need which is really, really nice, kind of just depending on where you're at in your life at that time.
But yeah, I think we're, we're definitely on the on the up and up now, for sure.
Rob Loveless
I think you can definitely blend real estate and fashion because, I mean, from your pictures that you share when you're doing house showings, you're always very stylish, dressed to the nine.
So, you can combine them both.
Ryan Windt
Yeah, thank you. It definitely, it's definitely nice to be able to bring the two together.
Gay Men & Real Estate (8:04)
Rob Loveless
Now, this is going to be a little of a stereotype here, because I'm sure you've seen this as well. It has seemed to me over the years that real estate kind of seems like more of a popular career choice for gay men.
I mean, I said in the intro, you know, if you look at HGTV shows, anything with interior design, house fixings, whatever, there's usually a gay man in the room somewhere.
And I did some research to see if there was any kind of correlation or metrics or statistics or studies. I didn't see anything there. Nothing concrete.
So, it may just be a stereotype. But with that in mind, I was going to ask, do you think it is a popular career choice for gay men, and if so, why?
Ryan Windt
I mean, I think you could say the same about like the airline industry, for instance. You know, there are definitely industries that certain demographics feel a certain calling to.
I think it is popular, but I also think it's still an industry that is heavily straight male-dominated, which is actually crazy. So, I did a little bit of research when I saw that question.
I found a site Zippia, and they pull, I guess, real estate agents' profiles to come up with demographics.
It claimed that there were 13% of agents in the pool of real estate agents in the United States that identify as LGBT. So, you know that being said, it's, again, I still feel like it's heavily male-dominated.
But according to this same site, there's actually a higher percentage of women in real estate than men overall.
So, you know, I've definitely had clients approach me before saying, should we, you know, do you know any LGBT vendors? Because I'd really love to keep it, you know, as as in the family as possible.
So, I'd say it's, it's a good amount of the population, but, yeah, it's, it's sales, it's, you know, you're selling yourself.
And I think gay men, a lot of them are very comfortable doing that. So yeah, I think it's, I think it's a very popular career choice.
Rob Loveless
I think it requires, similar to sales, you have to be very personable, outgoing.
And I think that's something that we do probably see a lot more gay men in, kind of more of those, like customer-facing roles, where you have to be a little bit more sociable and outgoing.
If you could share that link with me to the study, that'd be great to include in the episode, because that is really interesting those statistics there.
So that being said, talking about the number of I believe you said about 13% LGBTQ+ identifying realtors.
I did find an article, so not a research article, but kind of, I think it's like a fun listicle that was published by Queer in the World titled Why You Should Let a Gay Realtor help you find your next home.
And in it, the author says that, compared to straight realtors, instead of just being concerned by how busy, trendy, or up-and-coming the neighborhood is, gay realtors do a deep dive into the areas they sell houses in to make sure they are safe for their clients.
Because especially, you know, being LGBTQ+ safety is a big factor. Now, obviously, I think any realtor, gay or straight, factors safety into showings.
But for gay men, I think we may have a different definition of what safe is compared to the general population.
So, with that in mind, what factors do you look for in a neighborhood when showing houses to your clients, whether they're LGBTQ+ or straight?
Ryan Windt
Great question. I wish I had a simple answer for it, but I don't think. Technically, as real estate agents and realtors, we're not supposed to be advising on safety in neighborhoods.
It goes against the code of ethics. It's it falls under what the buyer's due diligence is like during the entire process.
Of course, you know, there are some favorites that I have neighborhood-wise, but some of these issues run into like redlining and steering, which are illegal practices of essentially turning home buyers away from certain neighborhoods or guiding them towards certain neighborhoods because of certain demographics.
You know, there, it's kind of up to the buyer. A lot of the times, I think my job is more to make sure that I'm asking the right questions in order to find the neighborhood that's going to best suit Buyer A's needs.
Sometimes it's harder if a buyer is very specific in a location that they want to be.
Like, say, one neighborhood, Fishtown specifically, which could actually be harder, because you're only seeing this many homes in this neighborhood, once buyers are more open to say, South Philly in general, that encompasses so many different neighborhoods with so many different, you know, residential, commercial, it's kind of what more so again, like I'm just asking the questions in order to be able to pinpoint the correct neighborhoods.
Best and Worst Home Showings (12:54)
Rob Loveless
That being said, can you tell us about the best and worst showings you've ever taken a client to?
Ryan Windt
I mean, nothing really stands out to me. I feel like I wouldn't be the only real estate agent in the world to say that the best showing is the one that the client puts an offer in on. You know, I would say they have their fair share.
Some I don't have any notes. I also think the best showings kind of start once you really bond with your clients, and you know you're past the phase of pleasantries, like you're kind of getting more into like getting to know each other because this is a very intimate transaction.
It's not just a purchase on something. You know, we're going through an extensive process of financials and all of those different things.
But yeah, so that's kind of my, my backhanded answer for the best showing. The worst, I mean, I've worked with some investors in the past, like, I've been in some janky homes in the city, for sure. Sometimes, like, very surprising to see how other people live.
But I mean, I remember this one time I was doing a showing fully, almost completed. We were at the last bedroom. I swing the door open and there's two people asleep in the bed.
Things like that would happen more so with rentals, the listing agent wouldn't tell the tenants that there was a showing scheduled, or, you know, they weren't notified.
So, I would have keys, and I would open the doors, and there's people, like, totally unaware of the me being in, like me having an appointment to be in their space.
So, yeah, those are definitely some awkward encounters, but luckily, it doesn't happen all the time. Yeah, we mostly vacant homes are the preference.
Rob Loveless
Luckily, last year, when we were looking at houses, I don't think we had any horror stories or anything like that. I mean, some of the houses weren't great, but nothing catastrophe like that.
Ryan Windt
Yeah, exactly.
Rob Loveless
When I was, uh, shopping for my house in Pittsburgh, the first weekend, I actually had my parents come with me, because never worked with a realtor before.
So, I wanted to make sure, you know, they knew some things about houses. I'm like, well, I'll have my parents to make sure, like, this person sounds legit.
And they were, they were a great agent in Pittsburgh, but we were touring houses, and the first one I looked at, it was this nice little like townhome in the center of the building.
But when we got there, a lot of people we noticed were like peeking out of their doors at us when we were walking in to look at it.
And as it turned out, it was a low price, because the people who had lived there fled the property, and then the bank owned it, so they just wanted to get rid of it.
So, the house was kind of beat up, but not for a terrible price. I mean, like countertops were off, toilets weren't connected, but nothing terrible, except as we're finishing up the tour myself, the realtor, and my mom are in the basement, and my dad's upstairs.
He's like, huh, look at this. They had left behind a piano with some of their other belongings, but on top of that piano was a box of somebody's cremated ashes that they left behind.
Ryan Windt
Oh, no.
Rob Loveless
As terrible as it is for when you have those walk-throughs and there's people sleeping in their bed like, at least they're alive. I hope that's a little bit better than walking in on, you know, something else.
Ryan Windt
You got me there. I've never had a scare like that yet. Knock on wood. Um, not planning to have one anytime soon.
Rob Loveless
I know, my realtor even said she's like, I've done this for 20 years, and I've never had this happen before. So, I said, well, glad I could be your first. But we all have those fun stories.
Ryan Windt
Realtors truly see it all.
Gay Neighborhoods (16:32)
Rob Loveless
They definitely do. Well, shifting gears a little bit, we talked slightly about neighborhoods and safety.
In September of 2022, I did an episode on the history of gay villages, and I'm sure this is a surprise to no one, but cities tend to have a larger gay population because, you know, more opportunity, more diversity, which leads to more acceptance.
More specifically, though, in 2021 Amin Ghaziani, who I actually just had the pleasure of having on my podcast back in June.
So, if you haven't listened to the Long Live Queer Nightlife episode, do that now, because we talked about this in that episode.
But in 2021 he published a study titled Why Gayborhoods Matter: The Street Empirics of Urban Sexualities. And it looked at reasons the LGBTQ+ community flock to gay villages.
And he found the following six core themes: voting blocks and elections, sex and love, safe spaces, the pink economy, activism and protest, and community building.
And obviously, each city has their own areas or neighborhoods that seem to have a larger population of LGBTQ+ residents.
So, what do you think are some trendy neighborhoods in Philly right now that lean toward being a gayborhood?
Ryan Windt
I mean, personally, I usually bring my clients to South Philly. I think Point Breeze is a big one. If you're a new construction fan, definitely, look at Point Breeze. I think, like the Dickinson Square, Pennsport area, definitely.
I mean, I kind of hate this term now, but hipster, you know, the younger kind of our generation, you know, their young 30s, you know, probably just starting a family, most likely has a dog, you know, that kind of thing.
And I mean, Passyunk Ave so that kind of whole strip in the middle of South Philly. Fishtown too, I guess. It's just a popular neighborhood in general, but I'd say that it has a pretty, a pretty big queer community as well.
Rob Loveless
In my running group, actually, the one guy was talking about how he and his partner live in Point Breeze, and he was saying that it's becoming the new gayborhood. On their block, I think there's like, three other gay couples.
So heard great things about it, but South Philly as a whole, I will say, you know, obviously, I came from Pittsburgh, which was a much smaller city, but being in South Philly, there is definitely queerness to certain areas.
Like you can walk in any neighborhood and you'll just see, you know, same-sex couple holding hands.
There's rainbow flags here and there, and it's not that there's a huge concentration in one spot, but you just see it's scattered enough throughout the city that has this very kind of safe and accepting feel, in my opinion.
Ryan Windt
Yeah, that's kind of why that question was a little bit difficult for me to answer, because that's kind of my whole thought process on it as well.
It's more like a sprinkling in different neighborhoods. But, yeah, I think, I mean, all of those neighborhoods are great.
You know, affordability is definitely something that is big on everyone's mind right now.
But, you know, I always tell people, if you can do it and you find something you like, then why not? You know, but there's really no pressure to make a move.
Rob Loveless
Regardless of neighborhoods, what would you encourage potential home buyers to look for in both the neighborhood and the property?
Ryan Windt
I mean, big, glaring things, foundational issues, you know, structural stuff, but that's all stuff that inspectors do as well. So, you know you have that inspection period after going under contract.
So that's the time where a lot of these things would be uncovered. Ideally, you want to find any glaring defects beforehand, so you don't have to shell out $1,000 to find out that, you know, it's a $30,000 fix.
But you know, back to what is I mentioned something earlier about kind of being an emotional like feeling transaction, very intimate. I ask my buyers all the time, like, how are you feeling?
How do you feel in this space? How do you feel on the street? I think realtors wear a lot of hats, and like, sometimes therapist is one of them. And I think how do you feel is, is definitely a fair question to ask.
One of my favorite statistics is a buyer knows within 30 seconds of being in a home if it's the one or if it's something that you even want to pursue. And I don't know what, how you how else you could describe that 30 seconds, besides feelings or having a feeling towards something.
Whether or not you can put it into words, you know, yes or no, and that's kind of the the only question we need to answer really right off the bat.
Challenges for LGBTQ+ Homebuyers (21:12)
Rob Loveless
Are there any unique challenges an LGBTQ+ person might face when it comes to buying a house that a straight person wouldn't?
Ryan Windt
Unique as far as you know, fair housing violations. It's not just, you know, LGBT people that are discriminated against potentially.
We were seeing this a lot more during the COVID boom. You know, the 3% interest rates that everybody was jumping at and going over asking price, and doing all of these extra things to secure a property.
And it was a really busy and crazy time. I mean, that's when I entered the business. I got licensed, August 2020, which was right before all of that started happening.
So, the reason we were seeing it was because they called them love letters from buyer to seller, to state your case, essentially to the seller without meeting them. You know, you're this is what we would do to the house.
Or, you know, which isn't necessarily something that a seller wants to hear, but, you know, basically painting the picture of you starting your new life in this house with a significant other or pets or, you know, whatever the situation.
The problem is, if you include pictures or information that is very personal, yeah, there is a potential to be discriminated against.
I mean, for same-sex couples, it's not even necessarily that you would have to write a letter, because both of your names would be on the agreement, agreement of sale, and if you see David and Christopher, you know, chances are that's unless they're investors, chances are that's the same-sex couple.
So, it's definitely, it's definitely a possibility. You know, the National Association of Realtors wrote articles about the dangers of writing love letters back in 2020, 2021, and there are numerous articles posted by other other sources stating the same thing.
But again, it's not just LGBT people, it's people of different race. You know people of different origins, like fair housing laws, they include race, color, religion, sex, which includes gender identity and sexual orientation.
You know, any disabilities, familial status, and origin. And I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but I am saying that there are protections in place to try to mitigate that. For sure.
Homebuying Myths (23:58)
Rob Loveless
What are some common myths about the home-buying process?
Ryan Windt
My favorite will always be 20% down. That will always be my favorite objection because it is the easiest one to handle. Some loan products, you can put as little as three and a half percent down.
A lot of people put five. So, you know that that comes into the affordability aspect of it. You know, you're buying a $300,000 house. You don't need $80,000 including closing costs to buy it.
I've had buyers put much less down, some less than $10,000 out of pocket for the entire transaction. So, you know, that is definitely number one.
I think the other one that I came up with was that purchase price is the only way to secure a home.
The only way to buy a house is to throw your firstborn child and $50,000 extra over asking price at the property to secure it. So, yeah, everything is negotiable in real estate. People say that all the time.
It's about the best terms, not necessarily about the best price. And for more info on that, contact me for a consultation.
Rob Loveless
And we'll be sure to include all your information too at the end of this in the show notes. But definitely, I mean everything Ryan said is true.
When I was working last year to buy my house, like I was nowhere near close to 20% I think I did put down around $10,000 which for me is a lot of money.
That's not like a little pocket change, like I'm just gonna drop a little bit. That was a lot.
So, we're in a different time where the traditional, I think home buying advice doesn't necessarily hold up, especially because we're a generation that has experienced three once-in-a-lifetime financial crises and the economy and job market and this and that.
I mean, there's always been factors that get in the way, but I think we're in a time that we can't necessarily abide by the old rules because they don't stand up in our economy.
And again, I'm not a realtor, real estate person, I'm a communications person. I'm just saying my own personal opinion.
Ryan Windt
I mean, you can definitely tell the future sometimes by the past, and having it's all cyclical. You know, bringing fashion back into it. How many people are wearing clothes that they wore in the 70s in 2024?
It's these things always come back around. And, I mean, if real estate has taught me anything, it's, it's about that you need to be able to adapt and change.
Because most things in the real estate transaction, I can't control. We cannot control as a buyer, as a seller. You can't control these things.
So, you can't, I can't control what the interest rates were. If I could make them 3% again, you can bet that I would.
I would be, you know, everyone would be so busy, but we would be falling into another issue, where people are buying up all these houses and buying the prices up.
And that's kind of where we're sitting now is the affordability, what $300,000 could buy you four years ago, is no longer what $300,000 can get you.
You need more, like $350,000 to get what you used to be able to get for 300. So, buyers are getting squeezed.
And, you know, it's definitely, it's a it's a tough market still for them, but it's still active. That's, you know, that's the thing. People are still out there. People are still interested.
People are still having conversations. People are still doing podcasts about real estate. So, you know, it's very much a topic on everybody's mind.
The Homebuying Process (27:28)
Rob Loveless
And I think some of those factors we talked about because of those and correct me if I'm wrong, because, again, I don't know the data.
This is just my own personal opinion, but I think people, it seems like they are buying their first home later because of these factors.
They're not able to buy a home as young as they, you know, as young as their parents were, because of these economic factors. And there is a lot of confusion around the home-buying process.
So, with that in mind, you know, for anybody out there who hasn't purchased a home or is looking into going into this, but they're not really sure what to do, can you walk us through what the home-buying process typically looks like?
Ryan Windt
Sure, I'm not going to do my traditional buyer presentation one. That is very long. I will do kind of more the abridged version.
So, you know, step one is meeting a real estate agent, because this person can not only give you an in-depth look, they will refer you to people who can help you beyond them.
And also, I don't want people to forget that you can interview multiple agents.
It's not something that you have to be you know, if you're not vibing with somebody as intimate as this transaction is, they're going to know a lot about you by the end of the end of your time together.
Feel free to go with those feelings again and find somebody who really fits your personality. After you decide, I would say, get introduced to a lender, get a few options so you can kind of shop around for different rates, and get a pre-approval.
You know, sometimes people will show homes before pre-approval. It's just not recommended, because you, what you think you can afford and what you actually can afford might be two different things, and I hate watching people fall in love with something that I'm not, you know, that we can't make attainable for them.
So, I would say try to get a pre-approval, definitely beforehand. Usually have about two to three months before it expires, so that's plenty of time to go under contract. After that, you go see homes.
This is the fun part. You're checking out all these different places and learning more about neighborhoods. You find the one you're submitting offers.
Your real estate agent, they will go over terms with you. As I explained earlier how there are so many different ways to structure an offer.
You'll submit the offer, and then there will be sometimes a counteroffer and negotiations from you to agent. Sometimes they'll accept it right away. That's beautiful.
If they reject you kind of start the beginning of the process over. Show homes and do that. But let's say, you know, you get the first one, which is ideal. You go under contract.
Within five days, you'll make an earnest money deposit. So, make sure you have a couple thousand on hand to to make that payment. It is a refund to you at closing.
So, whether it's basically like paying a little bit of your closing costs early, if you want to think about it like that. Usually, same day we get the signed agreement of sale, the title order goes in.
So, all of that's working in tandem. Usually within 10 days, we do inspections.
So, we'll do, you know, full inspection, usually sewer scope, they check for mold, they check for termites, and then we submit a reply to inspections. Things are always going to come up in inspections.
I always want to, I always preface it with that as well. This door doesn't latch, this drawer is broken.
Like those things we focus, we want to focus on the big-ticket items such as, like a new furnace, or, you know, a new AC condenser, something that's going to be very expensive as a buyer to fix that, and that's why we do the inspections to to find these things prior to committing.
Inspections was a favorite thing that a lot of people were waving in in the Philly suburbs for a while. I think they still are, to be honest with you.
It's not ever something that I recommend, unless you have a contractor on hand and, you know, any money that you need to complete those repairs.
While all this is going on, the lender and the title company are working, completing the title search. There's title insurance. You'll have your lender order an appraisal on the property.
And a lot of the times, that's all done before closing, sometimes two weeks before closing.
Once we get the clear to close, we just sit back and wait to go to the closing table, and you go to the closing table and sign all these documents for 25 minutes, and then get the keys to your new place and drink champagne. And that's pretty much the process.
Rob Loveless
That's a good overview. Unfortunately, I don't think it feels that quick in the moment, but it's very informative of what to expect.
Ryan Windt
Yeah, it's definitely, I mean, I would say the typical close from getting an offer accepted is between 45 days to 60 days.
So, you know, if we're out looking for properties for a month before we find something, it is probably about a three to four-month process sometimes.
So, you know, I just want to make sure that buyers are aware. It is something that once we're under contract, it is kind of zero to 60. You're going to need to be at inspections.
We really recommend you being there and being attached to your inspector's hip. Ask all the questions.
They will tell you where your main shut-offs are in the house, so you know they'll go through all of those important things with you.
Real estate agents always make a joke about, like, bringing your dad to inspections and having him, you know, follow the inspector around, but you are fine to do it on your own, for sure.
Usually, you know, licensed inspectors are very knowledgeable and in all of those areas, so they flag everything.
And, yeah, like I said, it's really as a preventative, so that you aren't going into a purchase with all these huge expenses after closing.
Rob Loveless
I'm laughing to myself because as you're talking about the inspection process, it's reminding me of I have a little bit of the end-of-the-world syndrome, which I've gotten better with as I've gotten older.
But when I was 25 and buying my first house, my good friend Sara had just bought hers before me, and she told me she's like, when you go to this inspection, they are going to tell you everything wrong with the house, but it will be okay.
And it's funny because there were some things that popped up during that inspection.
I remember I was super nervous about it, but then this time around, buying my house here in Philly, I think there were some more things that popped up compared to the first one, and some bigger things, nothing like end of the world, but some bigger things.
But I'm just like, oh, termites, okay, this all right, whatever, just get me in the house. Like I just felt more relaxed about it, like it'll get worked out somehow.
Ryan Windt
Absolutely I agree. And I think the first that I totally, totally agree with that. I think the first time buying a home is very stressful, and it is more of those feelings, it's more of your vibes and all those, all those things. It's a huge purchase.
But once you do it, once, nine times out of ten you have equity that you're using, so the down payment doesn't even feel like anything. And you're like, yeah, exactly. Okay, yeah, been through this before.
Like, oh, the sewer line's broken. All right, I know that's going to be an eight-grand fix.
You know, we figure that out. Yeah, you're more like you see the big things that come up, all the little things.
I know, Rob, you've been doing a lot of projects in your house, and I'd rather you do those fun projects that are, you know, improving area for use than doing projects like replacing your ceiling because the plumbing burst or something like that, you know, like something crazy and unforeseen.
Home Renovations (35:09)
Rob Loveless
Definitely, and kind of going off of that. I know you talked about Point Breeze area that's a good spot if you're looking for new construction.
Maybe some, you know, fixer uppers there, as well as looking into inspections, you know, bigger things that might have to be fixed or just changing spaces for yourself. There's I want to touch upon this.
Again, gonna start off with the stereotypical analysis, but I do actually have some data from it. There has been a concept that gay people tend to be early identifiers of up-and-coming neighborhoods.
And going back to that gay villages episode back in 2022 there was actually a New York Times article from July of that year that was talking about how LGBTQ+ people move into what the article describes as quote-unquote downtrodden neighborhoods and fix them up again.
Obviously, that article is a couple of years dated, but I wanted to just get your thoughts.
One, do you agree with that statement? And two, if you do, in your opinion, why do you think that is the case?
Ryan Windt
I don't know that I agree or disagree. I mean, bringing the HGTV up there, there is that Bargain Block that they're doing, literally that.
And it was amazing to see their progression from legitimately house hacking and living in these properties that they were renovating to finally moving into one of those.
And kind of, they do open houses, and they have a local real estate agent, and all these buyers or neighbors are coming in, and they're so appreciative of what they're doing to their neighborhood.
Because, you know, affordability is a huge thing, and it does raise property values.
But there are a lot of people that have lived in Philadelphia for their entire lives and owned their houses for, you know, 50 to 60 years, and right now they're sitting on an extraordinary amount of equity that they could use to do anything.
There are so many different ways to use equity that you have in your home, and I think that you know gentrification is one thing, but revitalization of neighborhoods is something totally different.
And, you know, the Bargain Block guys, again, like they don't do the traditional, you know, cookie-cutter kind of you walk into something and you're like, this looks like every other house that I've seen, just with different finishes.
So again, not that I agree or just disagree. I think if that is the case, it's a damn good thing for a lot of these neighborhoods, for sure, for sure.
Rob Loveless
And I'm glad you brought up Bargain Block because I know we were texting about that a few weeks back, but I love that show. I mean, one for anybody who's not familiar with it, it's a gay couple, Keith and Evan.
I love them. They're adorable, and they live in Detroit, and they literally buy up houses on the block that are abandoned, completely unlivable in.
They buy them for next to nothing, like some of them are $3,000 to $5,000 and they really fix them up. I mean, they're not huge houses.
They're all bungalows, I think, one or two bedrooms, but they're nice homes. And they, like Ryan said, they do something different for each one. There was one that was a desert-themed house.
There was one that they painted the walls on the ceiling black, which seemed crazy, but then they did like these gold accents, and it looked like a 1920s Great Gatsby hotel lobby.
And more importantly, though, they are giving back to people in the community, because a lot of the people who are buying these houses, they're not developers, where they're trying to flip it and make all this money.
They're selling to first-time home buyers, who have usually been in that community for a while, whose families are there, whether it's, you know, single parents, a young couple, a, you know, recent college graduate, and a lot of the work they put into the houses too, they're decorating from secondhand local shops there.
They're buying sustainable products. So, it seems like it is much more like you said about the revitalization versus typical gentrification.
And so, I just love that, but it is a little bit of a downfall, because watching it, I have a lot more confidence in myself to do some things like, oh, I can rip up that tile and lay down a new floor.
And really, I know I should not, so gives me some false confidence sometimes.
Ryan Windt
Yeah, some projects are definitely better to call a guy on I would say.
Rob Loveless
It's all about knowing your strengths and weaknesses.
Also, with that being said, you know, what are some when I say quick, I don't mean like fast turnaround, but, you know, not like a major renovation.
What are some quick or smaller home improvement projects that can really increase a home value?
Ryan Windt
I mean, I think paint sometimes has to be the cheapest way to change the feel of a space. Even if you're preparing to sell, I would recommend painting.
I am currently working with a buyer who does make paint comments, which is, you know, I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's something that people notice. You know.
Say it's a rental that you're listing for sale, and the renters beat it up, and you haven't done anything. There's holes in the wall, you know, the paints all chipped and peeled. Buyers really look at that.
Because he asked me after our showing, what do you think it would cost to paint the house? And I said, well, it depends on if you're getting somebody to do it, or if you're doing it yourself.
Because if you're doing it yourself, maybe $500 you know, paint supplies, you call your friends, you buy some pizza, and, you know, you have a paint night or paint weekend.
If you're paying somebody to do it, it could be a couple thousand. So, you know, that's, that's something to consider.
I think this is a little bit more extensive, but people do purchase homes, typically for bathrooms and kitchens.
So, if you have the ability to do any kind of face lifting on either of those areas, I would say that that is definitely a big-ticket item.
And even more long-term. I mean, it's never gonna you're never gonna lose value if you're adding square footage or adding bedrooms.
You will see your return on investment that back tenfold on on things like that. So definitely more long-term things. But, yeah, I think, I think those are some good value adds for sure.
Rob Loveless
And I'm glad to hear about the kitchen because that's something I had worked on.
So, I think I talked about this on the podcast, but I did a little revitalization, a little facelift of my kitchen, and nothing major. Like I would love to put in marble countertops, but didn't have that kind of money.
So, you can find some DIY kits just to do some little things, to do some face tunes.
And for me, I think, you know, the new lighting, the marble painted countertops, I did, and then, like, the adhesive backsplash was like $300 total.
And I think it looks pretty good, but I mean that being said, if you're doing it yourself, it could also go horribly wrong. So, you need a plan for that.
Ryan Windt
And he did say, marble painted, and they you can't really tell at all that. Like by a glance, they look pretty darn close to the real thing.
Rob Loveless
Well, thank you. I figured I was just gonna take the risk, because I'm like, anything has to be better than this red Formica countertop originally there. So even if it looks terrible, at least it won't be red Formica.
Ryan Windt
That's so true. There was not flattering at all, no.
Rob Loveless
I'm sure was great for the time. Just not 2023 you know?
Ryan Windt
Exactly, exactly we have to keep up.
Homebuying Advice (42:34)
Rob Loveless
Yeah. Well, on top of, you know, some style ideas there, what advice would you have for someone who's considering buying a house but doesn't know where to start, or if they can even afford a down payment?
Ryan Windt
I mean, I think we answered some of those questions, so now it would be step one, listen to A Jaded Gay podcast. But no, seriously.
I mean, it's never too early to start the conversation. Reach out to your friends, brothers, aunts, whatever, who's a real estate agent. Reach out to me and just kind of get that conversation going.
I would also recommend starting a conversation with a lender. It's again, never too early. They can soft pull your credit, and if there are flags, they can give you advice on what you should fix.
You know, I would say, get a handle on your credit. Get a good understanding of where you're at financially, according to the credit bureaus. And yeah, obviously, put some money away.
Like I said, if we can, I've had buyers purchase with less than $10,000 but it doesn't always happen that way.
You know, there are a ton of grants and assistance for down payment programs that we can see if buyers qualify for. But again, that's all things that we would talk about in a consultation.
And, you know, get, get all your questions answered, so definitely develop, develop your questions, and reach out to anybody that you trust to go through this process with.
Episode Closing (44:14)
Rob Loveless
And connecting it back to the tarot, The Fool in reverse.
Again, this is typically signifying the start of a journey, but when we pull this card in reverse, it's telling us that we may fear the unknown of taking that first step.
And like Ryan said, buying a house is a big emotional investment, and if you're an LGBTQ+ person, there's some other factors to consider, like safety. So, you really want to be sure of the decisions you're making.
So, this card is reminding us that we really need to trust our intuition and that the universe has our back and to kind of mitigate those risks, because, you know, you can't guarantee anything in life.
But to mitigate those risks, we really need to make sure we're doing the planning that we can ahead of time, and that we're assessing our timing, so that way we make the right decision and let things unfold as they're supposed to.
And for anybody who's house hunting out there, I know how frustrating it can be to put in an offer on a house you love and then not getting accepted or getting beaten out.
But just remember, like I said, just because it's not now doesn't mean never. Everything will happen as it's meant to.
Connect with Ryan (45:11)
Rob Loveless
Well, Ryan, thank you so much for joining today and for giving us all that awesome advice. Can you please tell the listeners where they can learn more and connect with you?
Ryan Windt
Yeah, sure. So, you can email me at ryanwindt@homesbyoneteam.com, and you can also follow me on Instagram @_ryanwindt.
Yeah, I'd say those are probably the two main ways to get in touch with me. And then you know, beyond that, we can get the process started.
Rob Loveless
And definitely, go follow Ryan after this. And if you're in the Philly area looking to buy a house, send him an email.
I know I'm a little biased because he's my good friend, but honestly, I had such a great experience using him as my realtor. I tell all my friends about him.
If you're in the Philly area looking to buy something or even looking for a rental, you'll be in good hands with Ryan.
Connect with A Jaded Gay (45:59)
Rob Loveless
And you know what to do. If you have any questions for me or Ryan or have feedback about the episode, feel free to send me an email rob@ajadedgay.com.
Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe. Greatly appreciate that.
All the positive reviews helps get the podcast further up in the algorithm so we can spread the message with more LGBTQuties out there.
You can check out the website for more information on Ryan and other guests, episode resources, links to social and merch, all that fun stuff. That's at ajadedgay.com.
You can also connect with a podcast on Instagram, TikTok, SoundCloud, and YouTube @ajadedgaypod. You can follow me personally, Rob Loveless, on Instagram @rob_loveless.
Also, if you're feeling generous, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon for as little as $1 a month. That gets you access to episodes a day early, ad-free, and exclusive monthly bonus content.
There's some additional tiers at $3 and $5 where you can get some other fun goodies. So, check it out.
Or if you're scared of commitment, that's okay. I am too. You can make a one-time donation for any dollar amount on Buy Me a Coffee, and both of those are @ajadedgaypod.
And remember: every day is all we have, so you got to make your own happiness.
Mmm-bye.
Outtake (47:33)
Rob Loveless
Um, let's see. So, with that in mind...I just asked that question. Sorry.
Ryan Windt
It's all good. I'm glad that you can edit this really.
Rob Loveless
Yeah, I mean, you should hear me when it's just me solo. Like, I trip over my words and I'm just like, tongue-tied. It's a disaster.
Ryan Windt
Yeah, I feel that.
