Mortgage Motivation

Expert Insights from Jessica and Dustin Landry on Buying, Selling, and Home Inspections

MiMi Doucet Season 2 Episode 25

Get a front-row seat to the realities of the real estate market as we chat with Jessica and Dustin Landry, seasoned pros with over 15 years in the field. Their expertise stretches from home buying to construction, and everything in between. Jessica's talent for showcasing a property's potential and negotiating deals even in a tough market is something to behold. Hear her share strategic insights into navigating the market in Acadia and St. Landry Parish.

We also turn the spotlight on Dustin, a top home inspector, who opens our eyes to the critical role of home inspections and the key factors he zeroes in on. Plus, we take a fascinating peek into Jessica's new branch office location and the unique opportunities it offers. From getting pre-approved for a mortgage to understanding the importance of home inspections, we guide you through each step of the home buying process. If you're thinking of buying, selling, or just interested in real estate, this episode is your ticket to a wealth of expert advice and real-life experiences.

Jessica: Next Home Realty
(337) 603 0160
jessicalafittelandry@gmail.com
https://jessicalafittelandry.nexthomecer.com/


Dustin:  Target Inspections
(337) 250-2418
argetinspectionsllc@gmail.com

GMFS:
(337)456-3580
laf-la@gmfslending.com
gmfsmortgage.com/lafayette

Speaker 1:

Welcome to this episode of Margage Motivation. Today I have with me the queen and king of Acadia and St Landry Parish. When it comes to real estate, I tell you what this girl's not always been a realtor, but been involved in real estate and helped so many families throughout Acadia and St Landry. How long you been involved in real estate altogether? Since the day you got out of school.

Speaker 2:

So 15 years feels like it right 15 years before I actually became licensed, and I've been licensed 7 years this year.

Speaker 1:

But you were doing 5th construction for 15 years before.

Speaker 1:

So Jessica Landry and her husband Dustin is with us today and we're going to give you a wealth of information about purchasing a home. Going through the inspection process, jessica is just a gem and has been a referral partner of mine and a personal friend for forever Yeah, for probably 20 years, i mean. I remember when you guys were dating and just getting married. You know I remember years ago that process, so it was great to be friends and partners. I consider you a partner with us. So let's talk a little bit about real estate. What's going on in Acadia, st Landry, right?

Speaker 2:

now, well, as of the last 14 days, i'd say things are moving. Over the last 14 days I've definitely been busy for myself. I'm getting calls about listing properties. I'm getting calls about buyers that are having to make that transition. You know, in this market you have naturally the people that are like, hmm, they're sitting the time for me. You also have your normal turnover. People are growing families and eating bigger homes, they're having job transfers, they're getting married, they're moving at a mom and dad's house. So with all that, those different transitions, you are definitely seeing. An influx right now outside of our normal Emitory is still a little bit lower than what we would like, but we're making do with what we got.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, absolutely. We just talking about the renovation and you know making do and making it suitable to yourself. Congratulations on the new location, Thank you.

Speaker 2:

We are working. Framing Guy starts to finish his process. next week The electrician will get in. So I'm doing construction on my own for once.

Speaker 1:

Tell me a little bit about your new location, where it's located.

Speaker 2:

My new location is at 8396 Church Point Highway and Church Point. We're just outside the city limits, south on Highway 35 as you enter into Church Point. We bought a building there just a few months ago and have been renovating a portion of it to use for an office. Still staying at next home, not going anywhere, i'm just going to be opening a branch office. My sister Anna and I are forming a team and we plan to operate out of it.

Speaker 1:

So if you're an agent in that area and you're looking to join a production team, let's give Jessica and Anna a call. They can definitely assist you because she is just a wealth of knowledge over the years. If you need something fixed, she's such a great visionary. That's one thing when being in Acadia and St Landry. inventory sometimes is low, but you can also help them if they want to build a home. also, if you want to look for land. What are some of the challenges you find? What is the biggest challenge you feel you're facing with in that area right now?

Speaker 2:

Inventory. Having to be a little creative some people only see what's directly in front of them and having to cast that vision of here's some options with what we have now that you can choose from Inventory is definitely probably. insurance premiums are not our best friend right now. Neither are interest rates.

Speaker 1:

That's top on the older homes. If the roof's older. But one thing you can we can replace that roof. We can help with all those.

Speaker 2:

There's so many different things. I'm in a deal right now that may potentially have to end up doing an escrow hold back. What that means is that after we close, there's a portion of the money that's held by the attorney and we have 30 days to get that roof replaced, whereas if we couldn't get the roof replaced, we couldn't make the deal work.

Speaker 1:

You do a really great job of working with the buyers and, of course, with the listing agents, as listing helping the seller prepare their home to get sold.

Speaker 2:

That's really how my business has really shifted over the last few years I'd say right around 2019, 2020, i shifted into really just trying to go after the sellers. You get buyers with that right And then my referral partners. So, yeah, focusing on the sellers has really helped me a lot, because it helps you so much when you're representing the buyer as well. Right, you still have so much knowledge that carries over.

Speaker 1:

And you know, i say Acadia, st Landry. Jessica can help you anywhere.

Speaker 2:

I'm licensed in the whole state. Yeah, she can help you anywhere You call me.

Speaker 1:

Right, yeah, but she's definitely the face of a Well, that's something.

Speaker 2:

Look, I'm not trying to compete in markets that I don't live and serve in. I really like to help the people and serve the people that are in my own community And talking about. I can't be an expert everywhere, right?

Speaker 1:

And talking about serving, thank both of y'all for serving. I know y'all are involved in a lot of community activities and we're going to talk about an upcoming event coming up shortly in the next episode. But before we go any further, let's kind of talk about the process. Let's bring a buyer through the process from beginning to end. So step one, of course, is give you a call. You're going to do what.

Speaker 2:

Have them call us, i'm going to have you call a lender if you've not already spoke with them. You have definitely got to call GMFS and get pre-approved. You just can't really search if you don't know what you're searching for.

Speaker 3:

Right.

Speaker 2:

And you can search what you want, but that doesn't mean that that's the end result of what you need.

Speaker 1:

Right, and I always try to say that you don't want to fall in love with something that you really can't get, so let's establish the budget first.

Speaker 2:

Once we establish the budget, then you hit the ground running, right, yes, Once I know budget and loan program those are the two biggest things Then I kind of get a wish list from them, Like what are your dreams right? And then I also get a little separate list of what are your non-negotiables, What are things that we must have in this next home for you. And then we hit that pavement and get to looking for sure.

Speaker 1:

And once we go into contract, what's the first step of that?

Speaker 2:

I have 72 hours to get your deposit, but normally within the first 24 hours I'm calling and getting bids for at least three different home inspectors.

Speaker 1:

And we have the top home inspector of Acadia, St Landry with us today. How are you Good?

Speaker 3:

good, good.

Speaker 1:

Well, first of all I want to say I'm going to pray for you because I know this heat just has to be brutal, for you.

Speaker 3:

right now It's very warm, especially in the addicts.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah. So, agents, let's try to schedule those inspections early for my friend, okay.

Speaker 3:

Yes, right, early or better.

Speaker 1:

So let's talk about the inspection process, and what does the inspection do during this term. What are some of the main things that we're checking for in a home inspection?

Speaker 3:

Well, all your main components, the main roof, age fact, plumbing, electrical, anything that's going to cost a lot of money to replace. But I look at more of that Walls, ceilings, floors if it's on a on piers. I currently need the house. Look at the floor, joists. Look at the piers. They're getting the addicts. Look at the structure of the addicts. Polyelectrical panels See what kind of wires you got coming in. We've got some old wires. It's a lot.

Speaker 1:

And sometimes you don't know what you don't know. Getting a home inspection is not only very important Look, it's not required for the loan but we highly encourage that everyone gets a home inspection. But I also encourage it makes life so much easier because you don't know what you don't know. You're going to sell your home. get a home inspection, okay. Therefore, you know, cause you know. sometimes you live in that home and you don't even realize some of the things.

Speaker 2:

Well, in half the time you had it inspected when you bought it and you never did anything Exactly. So it's just by doing that and doing a pre-list inspection is so helpful because we're able to attack those things before, before any buyer gets in. I just had a listing go live last week and the showing feedback I got was exceptional because I walked through that house. Of course I'm married to a home inspector, so I know what he's looking for. I walked through that house and gave him 36 items and it was done And everyone said this house is meticulous, It is so well organized and they have really taken care of it and prepared it for the market.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. So home inspection is very, very important and you know they do a great job and it just, you know, gives you a sense of comfort And normally we don't move forward with the loan until after the home inspection because that's still the due diligence period And that's what a lot of people don't understand. When you go into contract, that doesn't mean you're buying this house Right. That means you're exploring the home a little further And that's when Dustin comes in to help with that home inspection. Any tips to give to the seller to prepare for the home inspection, dustin, that they could do to prepare the home?

Speaker 3:

I mean keep it clean.

Speaker 1:

Keep it serviced, i would think right.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, i mean service to AC, especially in this heat. Change your filters regularly once a month, not once a year.

Speaker 2:

Yes, please don't let us go to a home inspection with dirty AC filters.

Speaker 3:

Good God yeah.

Speaker 2:

That just scares buyers. Please keep that clean, especially in this heat.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, So once a month once a month sure. Months of months is real important, and get that HVAC taken care of. Okay, what about on the listing side, when you're listing the home, besides home inspection being great, is there anything else you would advise someone should prepare for?

Speaker 2:

Definitely. So I give a very thorough list. I tried to narrow down the amount of items that are on a wall, that are in a room, declutter areas. I never say like empty it completely. I mean you can leave certain things, but I want a buyer to be able to walk in and really imagine their own belongings in that house, like how are they going to live in this house? And when you've got so much, it's really hard to see that vision right. So definitely try to do that with them. I go over a list of things that they need to take care of, anything that I visually see, because that's what another agent is looking at when they walk through with their client. as part of our job in protecting our clients, so I try to be very thorough and not overly, because it's already overwhelming that you're selling.

Speaker 2:

I try to guide them through it. There's many times I'm having to connect them with an electrician to fix something, connect them with a plumber all these different contractors to make different repairs.

Speaker 1:

And you definitely have a long list of resources.

Speaker 2:

I've got way too many contacts in that phone, way too many.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for everything you do, and not just in the real estate world, because you've been involved. Thank you for your friendship to us and our team here at GMFS And thank you for what you've done for our community. It takes community involvement and you and Dustin just really do a great job with the community of Church Point and Reshored and our beautiful little church over there.

Speaker 3:

And.

Speaker 1:

I don't think I ever visit there and not see you. You're kind of like the Holy Spirit.

Speaker 2:

You're everywhere, right, always say it free, short. ever get to mayor. I better be it.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for joining us today. I'm so thankful to be your friend and free knowledge. If you're looking to purchase or sell your home, please give Ms Jessica Landria a call, and how should we reach out to you?

Speaker 2:

Easy as way a cell phone 337-603-0160.

Speaker 1:

And once you go on to contract, whether Jessica is your agent or not, dustin works with all real estate agents throughout Acadiana. So if you're a realtor and want a great home inspector, please give my friend Dustin Landria a call and you have a cell phone. Jessica or Dustin, what's your contact?

Speaker 3:

337-250-2418.

Speaker 1:

And you know, i know you as a home inspector, like Dustin the home inspector, i know you have a company name. Share that with us today.

Speaker 3:

Target inspections at LLC.

Speaker 1:

Target inspections. Look up Target inspections. Or my good friend Jessica Landria, and they can. This is definitely a powerhouse team that can assist you. Thank you for joining us, guys.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, thank you.