This Week with Wendy: Recent Episodes
Wendy Ross
Real Talk About the SoCal Estate of Mind with Host Wendy Ross:
After decades of working at a variety of real estate brokerages in Silicon Valley and Orange County, Wendy decided it was time to create a different real estate business model, so she did! That’s when Veracity Real Estate Co. entered the market. The time was ripe for a renewed commitment to bespoke client advocacy at all price levels, seldom available within high-cost luxury markets.
Wendy has built a company of data-driven real estate investment advisers who are truth-seekers and -tellers. What you’ll hear time and time again is that Wendy and her team provide their clients with facts and data derived from practical local real estate analysis. They even study international luxury trends so clients make the best-informed decisions for themselves and their family legacies.
Every week, Wendy asks notable names to join her in providing a behind-the-scenes analysis of the SoCal real estate market. Wendy looks at the market a bit differently, and so do her guests. We’re sharing what the industry knows… and sometimes what the industry doesn’t want you to know… but she does, because your home will be your best investment if you know how the game is played.
How does the effectiveness of city leadership affect your home value and satisfaction as a homeowner?
In fact, so many of the benefits of investing in real estate — and the pursuit of the American Dream of home ownership — depend upon the cities in which we live.
To learn more about one of Orange County's hottest markets, host Wendy Ross interviews City of Costa Mesa John Stephens in this episode.
Costa Mesa is one of Wendy's favorites for so many reasons. For one, the City’s official motto is “the City of the Arts,” and it boasts a world-class cultural scene. But there’s so much more, including the City's progressive approach to affordable housing and concern for first-time homebuyers.
Learn more about Costa Mesa on its official site or contact Mayor Stephens directly at John.Stephens@costamesaca.gov or 714-337-1872.
What do California style-casters forecast as 2023 interior design trends?
There's a reason that the world looks to California for setting trends, especially in interior design. To learn what trends will top 2023, host Wendy Ross interviewed Joseph Aldrich, principal at The Cypress Group, about luxury trends and interior design.
Friends, he is the real deal.
Perhaps it’s his height—standing well above 6 feet tall—that affords Joseph N. Aldrich the ability to see what’s on the horizon. Or maybe it’s that the toniest industry leaders have favorited his personal mobile number on their ubiquitous iPhones to expedite late-night conversations that lead to marketing and public relations breakthroughs.
Or, more likely, it’s because Joseph is a seer in a seersucker suit — or a hound in a houndstooth blazer, depending on the season — identifying design trends before they happen and working tirelessly to ensure California’s most elite consumers and buyers come to covet them. (You know you will.)
Why do real estate agents get such a bad rap?
Many people consider real estate agents glorified order-takers, just marketing homes, opening doors and making too much money for not doing a lot of work.
Host Wendy Ross doesn't disagree. In fact, she calls out some of the bad practices that her fellow brokers and agents follow that make her head hurt in this episode.
Knowing these 10 failed practices can help home buyers and sellers run from bad agents and select true professionals who act as market advisers.
Ever wonder what goes into a real estate appraisal?
The practice often seems shrouded in mystery, so host Wendy Ross invited Jacki Moya to educate listeners. She has more than 30 years of experience in real estate — seven years in sales and 23 years appraising over a storied career.
In this episode, you'll learn what an appraiser does and what to expect when working with one. Plus, Jacki offers important tips for buyers, sellers and investors.
How does one of the nation's most trusted business reporters cover the real estate market?
To find out, Wendy Ross asked Jonathan Lansner of the Orange County Register to share his expertise in regional economics and real estate markets. He is a past national president of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing and a 1979 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
Jonathan has been reporting on Orange County business, and specifically real estate markets, since the late ‘80s — timing that corresponds with the local economy’s explosive growth. In this interview, Wendy and Jonathan swap stories about California's wild real estate market and debate the use of data in reporting and decision-making.
Read more about Jonathan and his coverage at ocregister.com.
What are the warning signs of a "bad" real estate agent?
In this episode, Cara Stewart returns to the studio to persuade host Wendy Ross to spill the tea on her industry — and boy, does Wendy ever!
Perhaps we should have called this episode "Agents Gone Wild" instead! Wendy reveals some of the most shocking behavior she's witnessed among real estate brokers and agents (behavior she has banned from practice at Veracity Real Estate Co.).
Learn more about Wendy at realveracity.com.
Will the Orange County residential real estate market sizzle or fizzle this summer?
Yes, the real estate peak is behind us, but that doesn't mean a housing crash is on the horizon. To dive deeper into the data, host Wendy Ross and guest interviewer Cara Stewart walk listeners through what they need to know.
Wendy explores the nitty gritty of buying and selling a home in a market with such tight inventory. Plus, she shares her insight into what what actually goes into determining an asking price — and it's changing in this shifting market.
Learn more about Wendy at realveracity.com.
How can real estate investors reap the biggest returns?
We all know that investing in real estate can produce passive income and a stable cash flow while giving investors leverage. But even with such opportunities, investors must be savvy about taxes, or they could lose out on some benefits.
Host Wendy Ross turns to Thanh Cambaliza to explore some of the most important tax-saving strategies.
Thanh is a CPA and partner at Cambaliza McGee LLP. Born in Vietnam, Thanh immigrated to the United States at 20 and embraced learning about life and business. Since 2006, Thanh has been in the practice of public accounting, working with private and public companies, as well as small business owners and executives in major corporations.
This diverse type of work stimulates Thanh’s entrepreneurial and creative mind and she especially likes providing complex business and tax strategies to help her clients become more profitable.
Just as she is in all areas of her life, Thanh is extremely passionate about seeing her clients’ businesses thrive as if they were actually her own business.
Learn more about Thanh at cpa-cm.com.
What do homeowners need to know about working with general contractors — and why are they so expensive?
To find out the answers to these questions, host Wendy Ross interviews Jeanine El Melki of JEM Remodel & Construction. Some long-time residents of Orange County, Calif., may remember the precursor to JEM, Alpha Remodel & Construction.
After gaining vast experience for more than 10 years as a private building and remodeling contractor, Jeanine took the company under her own license and certifications in 2010.
She has completed hundreds and hundreds of client projects, ranging from remodels to full extensions and constructions from the ground, some of which Wendy and Jeanine discuss during this episode.
To learn more about Jeanine and JEM Remodel & Construction, visit jemremodel.com.
What are the most pressing questions home buyers, sellers and investors have about today's market?
In this episode, Cara Stewart joined Wendy Ross in the studio to respond to listeners. In this wide-ranging interview, Wendy covers:
- The new “Forgivable Equity Builder” Loan program from the California Housing Finance Agency, which helps home buyers with a loan of up to 10% of the purchase price
- Programs for low-income home buyers
- Prop. 19, which allows eligible homeowners to transfer the taxable value of their home to a replacement property anywhere within California up to three times
- Efforts to fight housing discrimination and biases
- The dirty practice of pocket listings
Learn more about Wendy at Veracity Real Estate Co.
Where can you find the information you can trust about the state of the residential real estate market?
Wendy Ross breaks down the process she uses to develop her coveted weekly and monthly market reports for Orange County, Calif.
She also dishes some tough love to buyers and sellers trying to navigate the shifting market. Hint: Don't wait to sell.
Learn more about Wendy Ross and Veracity Real Estate Co. here.
Do you think saving money on property taxes is sexy?
Wendy Ross does.
In Orange County, Calif., we hear a lot about Mello Roos and the Mills Act, but both seem to be shrouded in mystery and even misinformation. Bottom line: Mello Roos costs homeowners money, and the Mills Act saves them money.
But Wendy doesn't stop there. She also tackles Prop. 19 and breaks down ways eligible homeowners may transfer the taxable value of their home to a replacement property anywhere within California up to three times.
Learn more about Wendy at Veracity Real Estate Co.
In the realm of real estate disputes, what are people suing for or otherwise getting into trouble over?
This is such a thorny issue in residential real estate that "This Week with Wendy" host invited Anthony W. Burton in for a second interview.
Tony is the founder and managing partner of AWB Law, P.C. He has spent his career litigating and fighting on behalf of his clients whether their needs arise from an injury, a real estate dispute or a business dispute.
Tony works closely with his clients to evaluate appropriate legal strategies and to develop a plan which will help his clients accomplish their goals as efficiently as possible. He’s also a tireless advocate for his clients and has tried several jury and bench trials successfully on behalf of his clients.
Learn more about Tony at AWB Law.
What makes Wendy Ross tick?
In this episode, we turn the tables on "This Week with Wendy" host and ask the veteran real estate leader to lend her insight on Orange County real estate. Thanks to deft interviewing from OC Talk Radio producer Paul Roberts, we learn what made Wendy such a self-defined "data nerd" and why she has so much heart for Orange County.
Learn more about Wendy at Veracity Real Estate Co.
Where can Orange County families who face a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's disease turn?
According to a 2021 report released by the California Department of Public Health, people 55 and older with Alzheimer’s will increase by 122%, and people 65 and older with the disease will increase by 136% in Orange County by 2040. The number of Californians with the disease is expected to more than double during that time.
That’s why we need to consider this important issue and its implications upon us. In this episode, host Wendy Ross interviews Deborah Levy, the executive director of Alzheimer’s Association Orange County, and Jamie Webb, founder of Haven Care Management, who also is a member of the board of directors of Alzheimer’s Association Orange County.
Learn more about how to support their pivotal work and services here.
What defines a tastemaker?
As founder and chef of Orange County-based Taco Rosa, Taco Mesa, and Taco Mesa—Tortillería Orgánica & Café, Ivan Calderón has been setting a standard for Mexico City Cuisine for nearly three decades. His name has become synonymous with authenticity, sustainability and quality – all of which are reflected in the brand’s integrity, from the ingredients he sources to the tradition he highlights throughout his menu and restaurants.
Chef Calderón’s approach to healthy, authentic and sustainable Mexican cuisine goes beyond the trendy words. His commitment to serving only locally sourced GMO-free corn involves a nixtamalization process that dates back as early as 1200 BC in the now-southern Mexico region. The process takes hours, but for Chef Calderón, a worthwhile one, since it removes nearly all aflatoxins from corn.
In this episode, Wendy explores how this OC tastemaker built his restaurant empire and gives listeners tips on how to adapt his vision into your own home.
Can anything be done to help seniors, veterans and their families stay in their homes?
Show sponsors, Ford & Diulio PC, step into the studio to join host Wendy Ross in a sobering discussion about real estate disputes — with an emphasis on the work these litigators have done to support the most vulnerable among us.
Brendan, who is the founding partner of Ford & Diulio, has developed a stellar reputation for mediating complex, often emotionally charged disputes. Brendan was selected by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Southern California Super Lawyer every year since 2019 and has amassed other awards as well. In addition to his professional legal accomplishments, Brendan is an operatic tenor and a former musical theater actor and remains passionate about the performing arts.
Kristopher also is a founder and partner at Ford & Diulio. He has nearly two decades of experience representing business and employment disputes. A native of Orange County, Kris is a member of the board of directors for the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation. In addition, Kris is a former member of the California State Guard and received an accommodation medal and other awards for his service, primarily providing legal assistance to deployed or deploying service members.
Could a wealth adviser make you a stronger real estate investor?
Yes, according to Wendy Ross's guest Philippe Oertle. He’s the managing director of Catalina Capital Group. He has nearly two decades of wealth management expertise.
"I asked him on my show today because he specializes in developing and managing investment portfolios, as well as structuring lending, and trust and estate solutions," Wendy says.
Philippe presents the ins and outs of wealth advising and weighs in on the impact of inflation upon investors, home buyers and sellers. Plus, he shares his perspective on leveraging real estate for financial gain.
Learn more about Philippe and Catalina Capital Group here.
Is inflation a bad thing for homebuyers and sellers?
Inflation is today’s buzzword, and it’s causing some panic, so host Wendy Ross invited chief financial officer Bruce Braviroff to discuss whether “inflation” is really a dirty word?
In a prior episode of "This Week with Wendy," an international economist said that the United States had kicked the can of inflation down the road for 40 years, and we had to deal with it eventually.
Our guest Bruce shares his insight as a consumer affected by this 40-year game and as a fractional CFO addressing pandemic-related supply chain issues, rising fuel costs and the effects on real estate.
Learn more about Bruce and his work as a fractional CFO.
Does getting a divorce have to mean starting over as a homeowner?
A marital home is most couples' biggest asset, serving as the hub for family life, work-from-home success and child-rearing. Convention dictates that marital homes are sold and divided when it comes to divorce, but Amy Valdivia of American Financial Network might have a better way.
As a local branch for this nationwide lender, Amy guides clients to realize the American dream of homeownership. She’s spent 31 years in the mortgage industry and over the years, developed a specialty important to listeners of "This Week with Wendy."
You see, Amy’s calling is to serve the community – and wanted to do more than attend charity events. She found the answer when she became a Certified Divorce Lending Professional.
Amy supports divorcing couples and their attorneys, alleviating one of the greatest areas of contention: home financing.
Learn more about Amy and her work here.
What can homeowners do to help protect their corner of the world?
For most of us, our day-to-day decisions affect our immediate environment, but Marcus Brener has made a career out of making physical spaces better.
Marcus is the director of Renewable & Energy Efficiency Services at Energy Experts International and has a fascinating career spanning two countries. He was born and raised in Calgary, Canada, where he started his professional career in the oil and gas industry — but then love called.
He says he was fortunate to work in many areas of the industry in Canada - until he chose to move to California for love! He is a devoted husband and father to two remarkable young women. These women also impacted his career trajectory.
At the end of 2007, he broke away from the oil and gas world. After a lot of reflection, he said he decided that it was important to make a difference by making the planet better for his little daughters.
By 2009, he gained some great education in the renewable and energy efficiency world and started a consulting business. In 2014, Marcus approached the president of Energy Experts International with an idea. He’s been there ever since.
Marcus shares with Wendy his ideas on how homeowners can save on energy costs, ways to achieve energy efficiency and what to expect when you purchase an electric vehicle.
For more on Marcus' work, go to Energy Experts International.
Is there more to investing than simply making a good return?
Certainly, Orange County real estate has proven to be a sure bet, and with it have come thousands and thousands of homeowners who have chosen to parlay their gains as investors in companies and other institutions.
But what if these investors could translate their investments into social good? That's the mission of Wendy Ross' guest, Roy Allen.
Roy is a distinguished economist who advises family offices and institutional investors with a particular focus on ESG (environmental, social and governance) and mission-based investing.
After earning his degree in Economics from the University of Arizona, this overachiever jaunted off to Europe to play professional basketball and get his master's degree from the London School of Economics.
In this wide-ranging interview, Wendy talks with Roy about the different financial models of real estate investing, how and why Orange County is different than other parts of California and the United States, and his views on housing and homelessness as an ESG investor.
Is your home a pleasure center?
No doubt, we live in a hot real estate market. Tiffany Yelverton wants to make sure your bedroom is just as exciting.
Tiffany is the founder and Chief Sexinista of Entice Me Soirees and Sexy Survivors, based in Long Beach, California. She is known as The Sex Toys Scientist and Orgasm Guru to many in the medical field.
Her mission is to facilitate provocative conversations about sex, self-love, confidence, and relationships to close the pleasure gap. Tiffany educates and entices people to have more pleasurable, fulfilling and healthy sex lives. As a master sex coach, she facilitates workshops, luxury retreats, private Sexy Soirées and consultations.
Tiffany has helped men and women connect with themselves, at their sexual core, to feel sexier in and out of the bedroom. Learn more at Entice Me and Sexy Survivors.
What the he*$! is going on with interest rates?
When interest rates rise — and other things impact the purchasing power of potential homebuyers — you need someone who's been there, done that to see you through.
That's why Wendy Ross engaged Dennis Hensling for this episode about mortgages. He is a full-service mortgage banker/broker with over 29 years of experience serving 14 states, offering the most comprehensive array of products in the marketplace.
He discusses with Wendy how he provides clients with the right solutions to close transactions at competitive rates and breaks down what we need to know about the impact of rising interest rates on home buying and selling.
Learn more about Dennis and his company, United American Mortgage Company, here.
But do I really need a contract?
That's one of the evergreen questions seemingly every homeowner asks when embarking on construction - a question that far too many contractors even ask!
Wendy Ross has seen it all from her perspective and dishes on residential construction with Mahyar Ghassemian in this episode.
Mahyar is the founder and managing attorney of Ghassemian Law Group, a boutique law firm that focuses on construction and business law. She also has a masters’ degree in physics and spent a year as a faculty member at California State University, Long Beach, where she taught physics and electronics laboratory courses before moving into the corporate world. Her technical expertise is the reason why she focuses on construction law.
Learn more about Mahyar and Ghassemian Law Group here.
Is the devil really in the details when it comes to residential real estate?
Nothing can ruin a dream home faster than residential legal disputes.
As Wendy Ross' guest Anthony W. Burton shares in this episode, California's thorny and overlapping web of state statutes, local regulations, zoning ordinances, homestead laws, tax codes, lease and rental agreement laws, eviction laws. and other rules and regulations — we did say thorny and overlapping, didn't we? — make it untenable to engage in real estate transactions without the advice of a competent attorney.
That's why Wendy counts on Tony. Together, they dive into residential purchase agreements and "the good, the bad and the ugly" surrounding these issues.
Learn more about our guest and his law firm, AWB Law, P.C., here.
If health is the first wealth, then how can our homes support our wellness?
During the pandemic lockdown, fitness moved from crowded gyms to spare bedrooms — and experts say we may never go back.
But what happens when homes are suddenly called to serve multiple purposes, as we've experienced since March 2020? We adapt, of course.
Few people have had to adapt more than inventor and natural bodybuilding champion Hannes Sheen.
This renaissance man not only invented leather technologies, a type of adaptation born of innovation, he's also had to adapt to life-threatening illness, including two emergency brain surgeries, rebuilding his mind and body one dedicated decision at a time.
During this interview with Wendy, Hannes lends practical and inspiration information about physical fitness and how to build a home gym, regardless of the space available.
Do You Live in Chronic Disorganization?
A home should be a place for peace. Yet many homeowners cite their home as a source of stress because of disorganization, clutter or even hoarding. And when it comes time to move, good organization can create a sanctuary that enables homeowners to feel rested and recharged - especially important for seniors.
Few experts in America know this better than Dr. Regina Lark.
In 2008, Dr. Lark founded A Clear Path: Professional Organizing and Productivity. As a Certified Professional Organizer CPO®, Regina is a specialist in boomer and senior move management, residential organizing, and life transitions. With an additional Certification in Chronic Disorganization, she works with clients who are challenged by ADHD, hoarding, procrastination, and time management.
Learn more about Dr. Lark's work and find additional resources at A Clear Path.
Are We Heading toward a Housing Crash?
We are a nation still scarred by the Great Recession, and nowhere is the memory of losses more evident than in the housing market. So when the pandemic threw our economy into an event-related tailspin, talk turned to whether we would enter another boom-and-bust residential real estate cycle.
Short answer: We're not.
And for the longer answer, host Wendy Ross sat down with Rick Sharga to explore the potential for a massive wave of foreclosures and evictions and analyze why this pandemic housing market is different than the recession.
Rick is one of the country’s most frequently quoted sources on real estate, mortgage and foreclosure trends. He serves as the executive vice president of RealtyTrac, a real estate information company and an online marketplace for foreclosed and defaulted properties in the United States. Every month, RealtyTrac publishes a U.S. Foreclosure Market Report closely watched by economists, real estate industry professionals and other market observers.
Learn more at realtytrac.com.
How Can We Give OC Heroes the Home They Deserve?
We all want to give returning military veterans and their families the homecoming they deserve but transitioning to civilian life can be difficult for many, especially in Orange County.
That's why Wendy Ross and Veracity Real Estate Co. support local veteran-serving organizations and affiliated businesses. In this episode, Antoinette Balta and Nick Saifan discuss veteran housing and veterans issues in Southern California.
Antoinette is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Veterans Legal Institute. She is a former Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow, 2018 Presidential Leadership Scholar, and spent 6 years in the California State Guard.
Nick Saifan is the founder and chairman of Vendaval Corp. and spent 24 years in the military - both U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. He retired from the Army in 2008 as a Captain after serving his country with distinction, He served in various conflicts such as Iraq and is recognized for his service to his country.
Learn more about these issues by visiting Veterans Legal Institute and Vendaval.
What Does Financial Literacy Have to Do with Homeownership?
Housed at the UCI Paul Merage School of Business, the Center for Investment and Wealth Management (CIWM) provides discussion, study and application of financial education for all.
And given that homeownership is perhaps the single largest financial investment a Southern California resident will make, CIWM Faculty Director Christopher Schwarz, Ph.D. explores how and why Orange County housing is expensive but not in a bubble.
Dr. Schwarz also is the associate professor of finance at The Paul Merage School of Business. His research interests include the management, disclosure and operational risk of the investment fund industry as well as the impact of manager incentives and structure on investment fund performance. His research has been published in leading academic journals such as the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies, and the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, and includes testimony before the U.S. Congress House Financial Services Committee.
Learn more about CIWM and its community programming here.
Why a Reverse Mortgage?
Forget everything you think you know about reverse mortgage loans and listen to Pete Tentler, known as The Financial Locksmith, explore this often misunderstood way to unlock equity in your home.
Reverse mortgage loans are commonly used to pay for home renovations, medical and daily living expenses. Homeowners who have an existing mortgage often use the reverse mortgage loan to pay off their existing mortgage and eliminate monthly mortgage payments.
A reverse mortgage loan uses a home’s equity as collateral. The amount of money the borrower can receive is determined by the age of the youngest borrower, interest rates and the lesser of the home’s appraised value, sale price and the maximum lending limit.
In this episode, host Wendy Ross interviews Pete about his experiences in this industry and explores the benefits of reverse mortgages.
Learn more at reversemortgage1776.com.