The Whitman Team-Realtor Extraordinaires

A father and daughter realtor team that will melt your heart. They live and breath Annapolis and the surrounding areas. They did not get into real estate for the fun, but for the reward of a grateful client that is settling on their new home. 

Bill and Amelia are part of the Long & Foster team at 320 Sixth Street in Annapolis. 

https://longandfoster.com

william.h.whitman@gmail.com

amelia@ameliawhitman.com

Listen today and maybe tomorrow you could be on your way to loving your new home. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:05

These are the voices, these are their stories. Voices of Annapolis D or Hey folks, this is Voices of Annapolis, and this is Kelly Bell. And um we have Gretchen here with Culinary Square, and she's lost her voice.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

This was you a few episodes ago, Cal.

SPEAKER_03 0:22

Back in January, yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:24

She wanted me to feel bad for her, but she she picked up my slack. It's my turn to pick up her slack.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Yeah, I'm gonna be a little bit quiet today, but I'll tell you what, when the Google Doctor tells you to not talk, you begin to realize that you're a bit of a chatty Kathy. I have not been able to not talk for three days.

SPEAKER_03 0:39

You need to update your AI because there's no way that it doesn't know that you're chatty.

unknown 0:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

There's no way. I'm not on that familiar of a basis with my chat bot. Oh, okay. I I don't recommend it.

SPEAKER_03 0:52

Keep it to human human feeling.

unknown 0:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:55

Well, today we have um fun stuff. I like well, it probably I I don't know if it's fun. I think that uh I think the idea of this is can be exhausting, but we have two realtors here. Realtors, realtors. We're gonna get into that in a second. We have two realtors. It can be a harsh process, the realtor process.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Let me just say, our friend Bill walked in and I said, Bill, tell me about real estate. Isn't it fun? He goes, It's not fun, it's rewarding. So we're gonna dance. There you go. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:28

So we actually have um the Whitman team. Oh, belonging falter! The real Realtor Extraordinaire. Have you ever seen um Welcome guys? Welcome, Bill and Amelia, his daughter. They're the team. And um, have you ever seen the show um Santa Clarita's Diet on Netflix?

SPEAKER_04 1:51

No.

SPEAKER_03 1:51

I highly recommend it. It's it's got a bunch of people, Drew Barrymore, um some other comedian guy, but that's a joke in there. It's like it's not realtor, it's realtor. Do you ever correct anybody with the realtor versus realtor? You're just like, I don't care.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 2:08

And it's not to be mean about the process of real estate, but isn't it hard? Like, it can be difficult. The process is It's exhausting.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

You can be exhausting.

SPEAKER_03 2:19

I know I've dragged you out to a couple places, and I'm like, I gotta see this. And you get there and you're like, wait a minute, why is this why why is there it was it just weird property?

SPEAKER_02 2:29

Yeah, well, I could say that probably looking for houses can be a lot of fun. But the absolute process of moving, packing up all of your stuff, which I did a couple years ago, and moving to another house, that's that's exhausting. And prepping your house for sale, that that can be hard too. So we totally understand that it can be hard.

SPEAKER_03 2:47

So did you did you ever move before getting into reality?

SPEAKER_02 2:51

I had not. I first got into real estate. I worked with my dad and I was 18. I hadn't bought a house, I was but I was licensed to sell a house. This looks like fun, Dad! I'm not qualified to do this yet.

SPEAKER_03 3:04

So, Bill, how long have you been in reality?

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Real estate real estate. I've gotten I got into real estate in 1986, so I've been 40 years now. Oh with Long and Foster, all right here.

SPEAKER_03 3:17

Oh, all right here. And that's what you just told us basically that your team is the the Whitman team of Long and Foster. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

We're one of the top teams and have been for a number of years. High five. In uh our Annapolis uh Eastport office. We have three offices in Annapolis actually. So you have one in Eastport, one on Best Gate Road, one on Bestgate Street, and one on Main Street.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

And I'm assuming, of course, you have do you have your own websites through Long and Foster or Yeah, we have a Long and Foster website for ourselves, for our team, and then we have different like social media pages.

SPEAKER_03 3:52

Which of course we will get from you, and then get it onto our show notes. So if people are looking for realtor, they can find you. Um so 1986, you've seen a lot of trends.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

I have. When I got into the business, if you recall, people talked about the interest rates peaking at 18% or so in 1981.

SPEAKER_03 4:16

This is this before our time. In 81, I was three, so yeah. I was gonna say I wasn't in the house market.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

In 1981, there was a terrible um inflationary cycle, and they got up to 18% for mortgages briefly. What? And when I got into real estate in 1986, five years later, the agents were absolutely jumping up and down with joy because it gotten down to 12.

SPEAKER_01 4:41

Oh my goodness. Still, did people actually buy houses at 18%?

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Well, that's see, I got in 86, uh, 18% was 81, so I don't know. But they certainly were buying them at 12%, and then it got to nine, and it's the rates stayed at nine for years.

SPEAKER_03 4:59

Yeah, I I do know that because my parents had to, it was a whole thing, and even the refinancing at like it was brutal. It was brutal back then, and I know like even now what their house is worth versus what they've put into it is not equal.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

And then the rates started sliding down, got into the sixes, the fives, the fours, and everybody was refinancing like crazy.

SPEAKER_03 5:23

You almost had to. I know we I think when we bought our house in 2001, it was like at 7%, and then I think the year after it dropped down to like 3%, but then it was like that whole bubble that came, which was a whole other situ like a totally different situation. Does that ha is that affect does the housing prices affect the interest rate?

SPEAKER_00 5:45

Not really. We work with a lot of waterfront properties, and a lot of those buyers are cash.

SPEAKER_04 5:52

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

So they're not really affected, they have assets, lots of assets, and they go and decide to buy a one or two million dollar waterfront, they just pay for it.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

Oh, okay. Well, I don't know these people. They're not in my friend group. Um, because it was that big bubble that were houses like what my house that the the lawyer I know when we refinanced and got it down to three percent, the guy said, if you would have waited, we had we had a uh a contract for an apartment and we had a contract for this house. And I was like, Well, we can eat ramen for a little bit, you know what I mean? Like, we'll be all right, you know. And um it when we sat down to refinance, the guy was like, If you would have, if you would have went with the apartment, you would not have been able to afford the house. Because I think at the time, like it come we were both like making like 40 grand a year, like nothing.

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Well, the big more recent bubble was 2006, seven, and eight, and then that was the uh bubble, the the housing bubble where all that collapsed. And 2009 was the absolute bottom for real estate, for values, for the stock market, and everything, and then it started working its way back up.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

What's the interest rate now?

SPEAKER_00 6:58

It's about six, six and a half.

SPEAKER_03 7:01

And would you say that's fair? Is it fair or still too high?

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Well, I'd say historically that it's a good rate. It's you know, because you can see it's gone way up, it's gone down. Um, but it does affect affordability, especially when you've got buyers that are coming from the perspective of seeing like the three percent interest rate for so long, and then looking at purchasing now, that affordability of that interest rate really changes.

SPEAKER_03 7:26

Yeah, no, it does because it's still you're paying money that you know, somebody else money that is not really doing anything except for holding the loan.

SPEAKER_02 7:33

Right. Maybe you could have afforded a six hundred thousand house, but now it's four fifty. Yeah. Because and the payments the same, but that it's because the interest rate changed.

SPEAKER_03 7:40

Yeah. I mean, I do know, like, even now, like we looked, we we are in the process of building an addition, which I don't recommend to to anybody ever. Um, and like I know like when we were looking, it's like, okay, well, we do do we move and we're gonna go look at these houses. And when we bought our house, we got it for nothing. I mean, like it, we I mean, I'm telling you, I was like chump change compared to what you're buying house, what houses are worth now. And I know that from this perspective, just moving 20 miles up, my little house, I would basically be moving into the same size house and basically paying three times as much for it. So I'm like, Yeah, I don't know. I just know affordable, sure. We could afford it, but I'm like, do I wanna like I am not I'm like, I like my mortgage payment.

SPEAKER_04 8:28

Right. Do you want to?

SPEAKER_03 8:29

Yeah, exactly. So I don't know, and I'm sure there's a uh some you know tax person that can tell me, well, you're not utilizing your finances. I don't know. Anyway, I'm sure there's a tax credit somewhere that I'm missing out on.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

Now, those homeowners that have those three percent mortgages, are they still kind of sitting tight in their homes? Are they still are you seeing more movement now?

SPEAKER_02 8:48

We're starting to see more movement. I think a lot of those people have held on to those lower interest rates for a long time and it has pushed them to stay put when they might have otherwise moved. But but uh where you live is largely you know, it it depends on what your family what your situation is, and so it's really a it's it's more of a lifestyle um than it is and like are you, you know, do you need more space? Have you had you know, have you had a kid? Are you downsizing and your kids are grown? Have there's just so many life reasons why people need to move, and so at some point those pressures of just your family and what your needs are is going to override, I think, like the payment. But it is if if you're on the fence about moving, then yeah, that can that could keep you in your house, and that is what we have seen, especially when the initially when those interest rates started coming up.

SPEAKER_03 9:48

So one thing I want to ask is like I remember when we were looking for houses, I think like the size house was typically now. We live, we I moved to a beach area, so you're looking at like 1,500 to well, 1200 to like 2,000 square feet down in that area. Um, and nothing was really like maybe 2,000 to 2,500 square feet seemed to be like the going house size. And then once we were in the house for a while, then all these like McMansions started popping up, and it's just like 3,500 square feet, 4,000 square feet, 5,500 square feet. Is is there a lot more of those now? And are they like is are people actually buying these houses?

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Well, there is a trend, I think, for a while where that's what I mean, that's what builders tend to build. That's what you don't see builders doing the small ranchers anymore, right? They're they're they are doing the 35 to 5,500 square foot. Um so that's that is just what's typical. It maximizes their profit, it maximizes the amount of you know money you can get from this lot that you that the builder has. Uh and and people do want that space.

SPEAKER_03 10:55

How how does that maximize the lot space though? Like if you're building bigger houses in the same area, bigger houses as opposed to smaller houses, more, you know, you know what I'm saying? Like small houses, lot more houses, more?

SPEAKER_02 11:07

Oh well, really, I'd say in our area, the lot sizes are lot sizes, the amount you can build on them, like your lot coverage, is is all done by zoning. So in most of these areas where they're building those homes, it's it's one home site. It's so you're either building one big house or one small house, but it's just one house. Uh huh and so it's maximizing the profit of the builder if they can build a larger home. Gotcha, okay. And sell it for more money. Right.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

All these little beach communities that are around Avalon Shores, Cedarhurst, and they were all platted back in the 20s on little tiny lots, 20, 25 feet lots. And nobody built on one. They built on two. Yeah, I have a two-lock, yeah. And only about maybe 20% or 25% of those 1920 and 25 subdivisions were ever built on. So you drive through there and you see all the little cottages with the front and back porch. A lot of them are closed in now. And then sewer came in, this whole area with some federal funding, uh in about 90, no, in about 86. And so that made all these little lots buildable, and that's where you start seeing the little two stories popping up that fit on the lots.

SPEAKER_04 12:26

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

And the kind of the end-wise on the real narrow lots, and then on the waterfront is where you see them tearing the houses down and building the 35, 4,500 square feet. The zoning, the typical zoning will allow you to go up 35 feet, which is three stories.

SPEAKER_03 12:43

Wow. Oh, that because that that does. I know that a couple of houses have gone up and it's blocked the view, and I'm like, dang. Um, yeah, we have a double lot. And I actually thank goodness when I got there we had the sewer because I don't know if I would have been able to do a septic tank.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

No, they sat all those lots sat for many, many years because they wouldn't they wouldn't accommodate septic tanks after that.

SPEAKER_03 13:05

Yeah, it is a terrible, terrible thing to have. Uh I do know though, uh, the well, we had a well, and I never drank the well water, but because we had to get the addition, we had to move the well, so we got the deeper well, and the water, I can't tell you that the water difference is amazing. Like completely different. Not the same. I don't have smell, I don't have taste. It doesn't like you know how Dasani water has like a thick taste to it? Have you ever noticed that? That was like how my water was, it was gross. It's like a different aquifer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Totally different. So deep wells, man. If you can if you can do it, do the deeper well.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

I highly recommend. What's the magic combination for young people who want to get into their first home these days? Like there's you you know, you hear on the news about these trends where young people aren't buying, they're renting, they have other things they want to do with their money, or they're not seeing the value proposition, or they're not, to your point, like staying long enough. Their lifestyle means that their jobs may make them mobile and they don't they're not sure about making a commitment. So how do you how do you counsel like young people as they're looking at I might want to make this investment, I might be there for five years. How do you know where what price range can I land in? Like how do you how do you help them figure that out?

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Well, it just I think a lot of we tend to be advisors, right? So we can somebody can come to us and we're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

I've always assumed a real estate agent is a psychologist. Like you guys have to deal with so many emotions. I am amazed. I'm amazed at the there is like this um base uh requirement of being a real estate person, a real estate representative is you've got to be like that duck that is totally peddling under the water and calm on the surface because your clients are not.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Yeah, no, it's true. And they're they're going through a lot and it's a big decision to make. Um but yes, I think trying to decide how long a person, you know, how if you're gonna stay in the same place for a while, then it definitely makes sense to buy. And you can always consider it if it's an investment, and then you could always rent it later on if you do decide to move. But if you're feeling very transient and don't want to be in somewhere more than a year or two, then it may not make sense to buy. It is a long-term investment, but it is the way that most people build wealth. I mean, it's it's a tremendous, it's it's tremendously rewarding and beneficial to own real estate. And I think that it is really good if if if the factors are right for a younger person to get into real estate. You do often see in our area because the prices are what they are, it's not easy to afford your first home. So it might be a condo, it you might be getting some help from a family member of a down payment or something like that. There are some pro mortgage programs that can help with that too. But assistance, uh, you know, is definitely part of that when you're younger and don't have um as much cash on hand.

SPEAKER_03 16:04

I I'm trying to I'm trying to remember. I think we had like a homeowner or something like back then, like a first-time homeowner or something. Do they have or do they have more programs now, or is it is it the same? Because I think I think there was only the one.

SPEAKER_02 16:16

There's I mean it's really similar. There's a Maryland program, there's a federal program that it like just ran out of money, but you know, it's funded for a portion of time, and then when those funds are exhausted, it they have to wait till the following year. Um so there are some options, but I would say that generally if you can if you can get some help from a family member, then that that really can make a big difference for a younger person trying to get into real estate.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

Are you putting more money down, you know, helps with the payment, give you a lower mortgage, so family members help a lot of times, so that the uh the sibling or the the daughter or son could put 20% down, something like that.

SPEAKER_03 16:57

So instead of the big wedding, yeah, instead of the big wedding, put the take the twenty thousand dollars and put it towards a towards a house.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

I am all for that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:07

I think that's a pretty I actually I I overheard somebody um many years ago, young young lady, and she said, Well, my grandmother's gonna give me like 50 grand, but I think I'm gonna spend it on the wedding, and I wanted to like and like here I am, I'm like 15 years into my house, and I'm like, I still need to take down the wallpaper that I couldn't afford to put to take down, like and repaint or redo a bathroom. I'm like, oh my gosh. Um, yeah, those people are lucky. But we um the let me ask you a question about those in-home living things. Do you guys handle that stuff, or is that all rental stuff, or is that actually sellable stuff? You know, those big things that are popping up. They have a couple in Riva, they have the one at parole where it's like the same more.

SPEAKER_01 17:52

I have no idea what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

You the the the in-home living things, it's like they're apartments and they have like the uh stores underneath, and it's like mixed use, mixed-use properties. Mixed use stuff. Oh, so there is rental, there is do you guys handle that any of that stuff?

SPEAKER_02 18:07

Most of what has been going up on Riva Road and those areas, a lot of them are rentals, so they're apartments and they're managed by big companies. There are a few, there's some townhouses going up, and there's a few that are gonna be sold. And the um the town center is a good example of that. Not, I don't know exactly I think what's new is probably going to be rentals, but they did initially when the town center was built, one of those high rises was condos that they sold, individual ownership, and then the other high rise was apartments where you would just go into a leasing office and you could rent it, and that was managed by a corporation.

SPEAKER_03 18:44

And there's enough people to get into those things.

SPEAKER_02 18:46

I feel like they build them like crazy.

SPEAKER_03 18:48

I know they're all Laurel is pop, they're popping up all over Laurel.

SPEAKER_02 18:51

Yeah, they're obviously very lucrative, and the majority of them are rentals because I think they are so lucrative that they companies want to be in the rental business.

SPEAKER_03 19:01

I mean, I do know that Maryland's a very transient area, you know, because we've got the you know, you got DC, you've got military, uh, you know, um, so I know that it can be very transient. So I'm just like, is there like I feel like is that I don't know, it just seems odd to me that there's so many of those and not more houses being built. Or smaller houses, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 19:20

The rental market in Maryland is very strong.

SPEAKER_03 19:23

Oh, is it?

SPEAKER_00 19:24

And you put a property on the market for rent, and there's just multiple applications. Uh there's there's still just not quite enough of it. So the rents have gone up so much that you still, even at six percent on a mortgage or six and a half, you look at the rent payment and say, Jeesh, look at how high this rent payment is. Maybe I should buy. Uh, it's not like it's gotten skewed where it's a big difference.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

Oh, okay. Because I'm like thinking, I'm like, do you do you recommend renting a property that you own?

SPEAKER_02 19:59

Oh, yes, as you're if you're as an investor, you could buy a property and then you could rent it. And yeah, I think that in again in the certain situations, that does make sense. You're gaining equity, someone else is paying your mortgage.

SPEAKER_00 20:14

Um I have two single family homes that I rent, and you have two or three.

SPEAKER_03 20:18

I have three condos that I rent. And you don't have an you haven't had any issues with squatters.

SPEAKER_04 20:24

No, no, uh-uh.

SPEAKER_03 20:25

Like because that like you hear those stories. Like there is the one, like the the lady with the million that lived there for like seven months or seven years or some shit. She was living in somebody's like million-dollar mansion for like ever, and then got arrested, and then went back to the house.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

So good good property managers are key. Do you have a property management arm, Bill?

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Long and foster does.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Okay, so that's that's key. That's key.

SPEAKER_03 20:47

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Got a good property man.

SPEAKER_03 20:48

So not just don't just rent it out, yeah, get a property management.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

They are, and they are worth every dime you pay them. Okay. We we have property managers in Baltimore that have been like lifesavers for us.

SPEAKER_03 21:04

So, in so, in terms of the inside, let's go inside how homes, because Amelia showed me one of my favorite houses in the area that I wanted to get, and it and I walked in and everything was gold trim. Um I mean, it was it, you would have had to really, you know, you had to put in for the for the price. I was like, ah, for this price, I would do it. For this price, no. Um uh, but it was all gold trim. It was definitely like 19, there was super dated. The outside was not, the outside was gorgeous, but the inside was like, there was even like a like a sun, you know, where the rug was like there was like a like a dark spot. You could tell where the rug was. Um, what trends are you seeing inside homes? Um, from obviously the like because that was like early 90s. Yeah, that was very super. Um, what are you seeing now that people are say are are are liking more inside homes for those who

SPEAKER_02 22:00

Are thinking about selling and want to update um well I finally all of that kind of gray and the cool colors that they've been flipping home with for probably over a decade now, those are finally sort of going away, and the warmer whites are coming in, and some earth tones, a lot of greens are popular. Like it blue and on Atlas is always popular too. So I'm really happy to see some like warmer tones coming in because I got a little over the gray.

SPEAKER_03 22:33

Uh yeah, we did, we we fell into the gray. Uh our kitchen did, but luckily I think my cabinets can be and they have make great painting cabinet paint that you can use now, which is really awesome instead of having to replace everything. Um, but I wanted to change up the look, and we just decided to go with a dark, like it's called iron ore from um Sherwin Williams for our doors. And I will tell you the difference that it makes, like my I didn't even realize how sterile my kitchen felt because I've got a brick wall on the other side. I've got dark wood floors, so it was you know, I was trying to balance it out, but the white doors just kind of made it feel, and I didn't realize how sterile it felt.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

So we did those warmer colors around it, so you're able to get it.

SPEAKER_03 23:15

The iron ore is on a door, a dark door, baby. I am in it. Let's bring that trend on. I love it.

SPEAKER_02 23:21

It makes a big difference. There are some small things that you can do to really change the interior look of your house, like changing your trim, um, adding some of those different colors and your doors.

SPEAKER_03 23:33

I mean, there's yeah, the door just the door pane alone, I think, was like uh it's almost it's totally different how it makes the room feel. I love it. I can't wait for you to see it when it's all done. Um okay, so we have so what should someone focus on with just the small things, yes, but what should someone make sure that they focus on when they come in, when they're putting their house on the market, what is the biggest thing that people are like?

SPEAKER_00 23:56

I know for me it's the kitchen, but of course kitchen, baths, and first impressions.

SPEAKER_03 24:02

Kitchens, baths, and first impressions. Uh say more about the first impressions.

SPEAKER_02 24:07

Yeah, yeah, like curb appeal, just trying to make everything feel um like as spacious as possible, not overly cluttered, just trying to clear out spaces, make everything clean and bright. Uh that's generally that's how you someone's able to walk into your home and see themselves and themselves there.

SPEAKER_03 24:27

Yeah, um, so basically minimize your your uh decor, if you will. You do, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

The way you live in a home and the way that you would ideally stage a home to be sold are slightly different.

SPEAKER_03 24:40

Yeah, I had to do that once. I didn't like it. We didn't end up selling the house. Um that was that was hard to keep up. It is. That was it's very hard. And then and then a house down the street from me, it's exactly the same exact house, but I had a bigger lot and a better yard, and that sold, not mine. It's hard. Yeah. I was like, I know I my house is better than that. Um yes, I like that. So any any tips you can give people who are want to start looking, but of course they're thinking affordability is a problem right now, or they don't think they can do it.

SPEAKER_02 25:10

Yeah, well, watching the market and seeing what's out there, what price point, that's always a good way to just start seeing if if what your price point that you're comfortable with, your monthly payment, if what's what's out there is gonna fit well with what you're looking for. You can consider several different areas, um, and you can always go and look at places to see.

SPEAKER_00 25:33

Yeah, and the first step usually is you go talk to a mortgage lender, and they they check your qualifications, your uh income versus debt, your credit, and they say, this is what you can afford, this is how you fit into the mortgage lending box. And then you can go out and know with confidence where you can.

SPEAKER_01 25:55

That initial consultation with the lender does not hit your credit rapport. It's just a consultation, right?

SPEAKER_00 26:01

That's the way when they check your credit, it hits it a little bit, but it's temporary, it's not much.

SPEAKER_03 26:09

So because like I know I having this job and going around and catering to different people, I'm like, oh, I didn't know this neighborhood was there. Oh, I didn't know that was neighborhood was there. Um do you how long have how how much do you know about the area? So if someone comes in and was like, okay, so this is what I have, can you you know, are you gonna are you gonna be like that show where they show you the most expensive thing and then tell you how to fix your house back up? Like to you know, for less money. How do you approach that situation?

SPEAKER_02 26:39

Well, generally when somebody is coming to us, they have somewhat of an idea what they want to do. And they've been looking online, and they're looking online, and so they may say, Hey, our house just isn't big enough. So I have had plenty of times where it is like so we could either buy new, we want to stay in the area, or we're gonna put an addition on our house and we're trying to decide what's the better way to go. And so in that situation, you may just look at a few homes, they're gonna crunch some numbers and decide ultimately what works best for them.

SPEAKER_00 27:08

And then they talk to Kelly, and Kelly says, Never put in an addition on the house.

SPEAKER_03 27:14

Never come to you. Well, my c my brother's a contractor, and he he he used to work um for somebody who used to build houses, and he said he was like, You can build a house in in in six weeks. He was like, you know, these huge 5,500 square. He's like, but an addition is gonna take you, and it has, it's taken, it's taken a year and five months, and I'm I am super over it. Yeah, and I still probably have another month to go. But you know, that that's me, that's not you people.

SPEAKER_01 27:40

So Bill, you mentioned online searching. You started in this business before Zillow and before like Redfin and all of that. When I got into this what was that journey like?

SPEAKER_00 27:51

When I got into this business in 1986, we had a book. And you'd go look in the book, and it was published once every other week, and you'd see what was on the market, and then you'd figure out who what company had it listed, and you'd call that company and say, Is it still available?

SPEAKER_03 28:12

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

And then by about 1990, they had these little thermal printer um terminals. You know, like 600 baud was the rate or something. And so then that was the beginning of our MLS system online. And of course, now it's it's just everything is available with all the photos, and everything is available, and it's has that depersonalized the relationship with clients a little bit? Not at all. I think it's um real estate, it's always been an absolutely personal business, and uh the whole relationship is personal, and you advising them, being really knowledgeable about the area, if it's waterfront, being very knowledgeable about critical area, lot coverage limits, buffers, all that kind of thing. And um that's what's valuable to people.

SPEAKER_03 29:19

Yeah. Also helps to know the area for for so long and knowing what's out there and and giving people the insight. Because like I know one of the things that bothers me going into an area is like when you talk to like the cab driver, and you're like, where do you eat? And they're like, Oh, yeah, over there. And I'm like, no, you don't. You don't eat there. Tell me where you people eat, where the people of this of this town eat. Right. Um, don't give me the tourist stuff. Um, so it is hopefully you guys give them the non-tourists. Right.

SPEAKER_02 29:44

It's like the all the local things and um the you know, the knowledge of the different neighborhoods and the community activities and the boating and the golf courses and you know, all of the things that you can do in our area. We have such great recreation.

SPEAKER_03 30:00

And speaking of boating, we've got two basically, you guys live on the water. I know, Amelia, I all I love seeing your post with your dogs on the boat. It's so cute. So cute.

SPEAKER_02 30:13

We're on the water.

SPEAKER_03 30:13

And you're your you well, you and your brother um are sailors, well, or captains.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

So he's a charter fisherman power boat. And I grew up on fishing boats and power boats and learned to sail as an adult. I married this gal who has been sailing all her life. She was she's in a sailing family, the West River Sailing Club. She grew up in all the way down from the little tiny boats on up. So I learned to sail as an adult, and I have right now I have a 15-foot whaler, which is just a little power boat, and she has an Alarine 28, which is her sailboat. I don't know what any of those things are, but it's well, and then we went when we want to go on a really nice sailboat, we go on a million.

SPEAKER_03 31:00

She got a nice boat. I've only I've seen that one. I haven't seen yours, but I've seen that boat. It is gorgeous. We have a good cruising, a cruising boat to stay overnight on.

SPEAKER_04 31:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:08

So what what like what's your what's your what how do you make time for that? You know, in terms of because like I know like to put a boat in the water is not like it's not a five-minute chore.

SPEAKER_02 31:19

No, there is a lot of prep work, and that's it consumes. I mean, it is a hobby that both my husband and I really like. Jeff and I really, and so we spend a significant amount of time other hobbies. We don't have lots of other hobbies. This is the hobby, and it is consuming, and you spend a tremendous amount of time like prepping your boat and maintaining it and taking care of it and cleaning it before you go on the weekend, and then you gotta put all of your food and provisions together and have it. So you guys sleep on it. We sleep on it. Oh, okay. Yeah, so that feels yeah. We'll go somewhere for the weekend, and it works pretty well in our schedule because it's flexible. So if I need to show houses or something's happening that weekend, then I could we can stay closer to home. I still have full access to you know my computer and my phone, and so we just make adjustments depending on what's needed.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

So or she can call dad and say, I can call my dad and can you go show the house? I'm over in St. Michael's.

SPEAKER_03 32:22

I I uh I did, I worked a short stint at Enterprise Rent A Car. Um, I don't know what I was thinking. Young, dumb. And uh I remember picking up people from during the during the summer, and we would have to pick up people from their boats because they're coming up from Florida, and they all smelled like bacon. Like it is like it just the the it permeates everything about them. When they got in the car, I'm like, yeah, yeah, okay, this must be boat life. You've been on your hair a little salty. It's like, I don't know if you want to cook that. Come and get maybe outside on the get a little uh camping grill. I don't know. But they did, they all smelled like bacon. So it's funny. Um, where is the craziest place that you guys have been on a boat?

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Oh well, we went way down the Chesapeake when they first got the boat, all four of us, my wife and I and Million Jeff and Kobe the dog, all went way down the bay, um, all the way down to um Onankok, which is near the mouth of the bay. Okay. Oh, and then we hopped across to uh you know um the um Potomac River.

SPEAKER_02 33:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:33

And then over to Tillman Island and just back on, worked our way up.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

We mostly stay on the bay in our boat.

SPEAKER_00 33:41

And there was a lot of bad weather on that boat on that trip.

SPEAKER_02 33:44

Yeah, the bad yeah, the bad weather. But my dad's done um boat deliveries. I mean, he's been out in the ocean and done plenty of things. Could you take your boat? You got a big boat. Can you go on the ocean? Our boat could go in the ocean. We'd probably need to, you know, double check all the rigging. We'd have to do quite a bit of prep to make sure she was safe for that, but yeah, she she could.

SPEAKER_00 34:02

She could easily be an ocean boat.

SPEAKER_02 34:04

And I hope that in the future we might be on boat. Yeah, when you're retired, and you can't. Yeah, when we have time.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

When you have time. I have a friend who lived on her boat. Her husband talked her into it, lived on a sailboat for two years. Their kids were in high school. She had three daughters in high school. And the day they left for this, um, it was gonna be a year on the boat, the day they left, all three daughters were absolutely belligerently like it were in full-on rebellion. And then when they found out that they were gonna spend Christmas in the Bahamas, everybody's attitude. Everyone's like, this isn't so bad. This will be great.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

Well, you were asking how you find the time for something like that. What you really are able to do, you're an entrepreneur in real estate, you work for yourself. I mean, you're with a company, but that's just your broker because you have to hang your license with a broker. So it's your own effort, and what you do is you you run your schedule so that you mix everything together.

SPEAKER_04 34:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:59

And it's all showing this house, doing this, going to the grocery store, showing another house, yeah, you know, getting the boat ready for next round. Getting your hair cut. Yeah, getting your hair cut, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 35:13

Yeah, I always so we my husband and I were also lifelong entrepreneurs, and I always wondered how normal people who work a nine to five live. I'm like, when do you get your hair cut? When do you go to the dentist? Like, when do you go to the dentist? I couldn't imagine not mixing all of my personal stuff into the street.

SPEAKER_02 35:30

I guess you have all your weekends in the meeting spree, which I I know I don't know anything about that.

SPEAKER_03 35:35

Well, let's get into a little bit of the AI questioning because it gets a little deep. Um, here I think this is an interesting question. So you're part of the board of the Rundle Rivers Found Federation. What is what is that?

SPEAKER_02 35:46

Explain more. Yeah, um, that is a great local organization that I volunteer for. They asked me to be on the board, and I was um I was very honored, and and I I love being involved with it. They're an environmental organization. The uh River Keeper who does the West River, Road River, and South River, she is at um Arundel Rivers. And then they do big restoration projects that are in our area. Some most of them are in our watershed, but it goes outside of that some. And they do a lot of education uh programs too for children. So it's a really wonderful local organization that is focused on clean water.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 36:31

Amelia's a leader in a number of ways. She's on a couple of boards, she's been president of their condo association. Um she's on the forms committee for long and foster, I mean for the uh association of realtors. And especially with me and my time now that I want to volunteer more and give more back to. And so I was president of the Galesville Heritage Society for a number of years. Um, the immediate past Commodore West River Sailing Club. I ran uh I worked on the um the I was a docent on the Thomas Point Lighthouse tours. We'd take people out and take them through the lighthouse.

SPEAKER_03 37:13

You know, it's on my list. I've not been there yet. Have you been there? Yeah. You have been there? Oh god, how'd you get there before me?

SPEAKER_01 37:18

Because I'm a tourist. I'm not from here. You always take advantage of stuff when you're not from here. It's true.

SPEAKER_00 37:24

So, and then we're we're sponsors of the Lights of Kindness Christmas event that the Rotary Club does at Homestead Gardens.

SPEAKER_03 37:33

Oh, I love the trains there. They're my favorite.

SPEAKER_00 37:35

Yeah, yeah, and we're sponsor the Whitman team is sponsors of um uh some of the Arundel Rivers events.

SPEAKER_02 37:42

Yeah, they have a um an event coming up that's called a report card. So they take the stats on all of the different creeks in our area and then they give it a like a a grade. And so you can compare it to the previous years and see how you're like your local river that you're boating on and you know your kids are swimming in, like, how's it doing? How are we doing? Well, it j generally good, but there's always more work to do, and there's always more um that people can do in their own backyards, but I think that just spreading the awareness of because it's it's it's such a wonderful asset that we have in our area. I mean, all the the boating, the waterfront restaurants, the recreation, that it's just it's so nice to have. We should we should treat it with respect. Of course. Can people join these this these uh things that you're talking about? Yeah, so the report card event is coming up. I could give you more information, you can put in the link. Um but yeah, that's gonna be in Homestead Gardens. That's coming up later this month. That's uh free and a really fun event if you want to learn more. And yeah, I don't know what to do.

SPEAKER_00 38:51

The Lights of Kindness is a huge event. The uh the Rotary Club brought in over $40,000 last Christmas to give to charities.

SPEAKER_03 38:59

Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 39:00

And we sponsored a tree, and there was what, 30 trees maybe there?

SPEAKER_02 39:04

At least. I mean, it's a huge amount. They put a tent in the back at Homestead, and all these different local organizations will decorate the tree, sort of usually on theme. When did they start doing that? Because I don't remember them.

SPEAKER_03 39:16

That I the Rosary Club's been doing it for quite a few years. It must have been because like I used to take my kids when they were young to go see the trees. I haven't I I honestly haven't been in a while, but um, I I don't remember seeing the the trees like that.

SPEAKER_02 39:28

I don't know how long.

SPEAKER_03 39:29

I mean at least the last five years. Oh, yeah, that was a lot of things. Yeah, it's probably more recent.

SPEAKER_00 39:34

It's about a four-day, five-day event, and then they dismantle it.

SPEAKER_03 39:38

Well, I'm gonna have to make sure I get down there this year because I haven't seen that part yet.

SPEAKER_01 39:42

I love a good Christmas tree. I love seeing lots of different decorations.

SPEAKER_03 39:46

Uh favorite new brand new construction, old house.

SPEAKER_00 39:53

Old It might seem odd being in real estate for 40 years in this area. I'd absolutely be fine if they never built another new house.

SPEAKER_04 40:02

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 40:03

Um the congestion and the building up and the infill lots and everything is not to me very attractive. Plus, new home prices have to be profitable for the builder. And we list a number of beautiful homes that you could not build for what they're listed at. So we feel like resale homes uh compete very well with new construction. And I used to be involved with a builder, and he would build nice non-waterfront homes here and there, and we would and I would sell them before him. But uh, I'm not a fan of traffic lights in South County and more and more construction.

SPEAKER_03 40:54

I I I will say going down and you see the old, like there's definitely on Galesville, like there's that old White House I know that they had a pole in the backyard, and it's got like the steps, but they don't lead to anywhere. I know what you're talking about. I know you know when you're driving down Galesville and you're heading towards Route 2, it's right there on the right hand side. It only sold a couple years ago. Um it was one of my oh I coveted that house. I'm like, I want that house. Um yeah, I'm kind of into the old. Now now I I'm not um a handy person, so that would be my, you know, I'd have to.

SPEAKER_02 41:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:23

My husband could do it. He's learned lots, he's learned a lot. So he YouTube has been wonderful for him. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:28

But older homes have they have so much charm, character, they're unique. Um yeah, there's a lot of really nice things to do.

SPEAKER_00 41:35

And many of them are incredibly well updated. I mean, you walk in a house that looks, yeah, okay, it's built in the 80s or 90s, you walk in and you go, wow, they have really done a beautiful job of updating this.

SPEAKER_03 41:48

All right, well, don't don't sleep on the old construction. Don't just don't build an addition. Kidding kidding. Okay, so do you guys know you've been listening? Because you told us you were listening. So you um know about the lightning round, unless you haven't made it to the end. Both of them were looking at this like, maybe not.

SPEAKER_00 42:09

I'll be honest with you. I listened to three podcasts partway to get an idea of what we were in for.

SPEAKER_01 42:16

Gotcha. Well, that that still works for us. Would you like to explain the lightning round? Sure. So lightning round is we're gonna shoot a question at you. It's uh a quick rapid fire right back, no discussion, although we're not very good at that part ourselves. We always end up on a tangent, but it's just a little bit of a uh a quick understanding of like how you see how you see this area in Annapa County. You want to start a county?

SPEAKER_03 42:39

Sure. Uh favorite Annapolis sailing spot sailing spot back creek or the West River? Or any other ones that you know?

SPEAKER_00 42:48

Well, I'm favorable. Partial to West River.

SPEAKER_01 42:52

Yeah, okay. I'll take it, I'll take it. Old Bay or J O seasoning?

SPEAKER_00 42:56

Old Bay.

SPEAKER_01 42:58

I think J O. Throw down here. That's right, that's right.

SPEAKER_03 43:04

Uh top local spot for post-closing lunch. Ooh, that's a fun question. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:09

Well, Pirates Cove in Galesville is always fun.

SPEAKER_03 43:12

Very good, very good.

SPEAKER_00 43:13

Yeah. And in Annapolis, I love Homewood Cafe on West Street.

SPEAKER_03 43:17

Paul Paul's, yeah. Yeah. I like both of those places.

SPEAKER_00 43:21

And of course, down in the water, if you want to just be to have the ambience. That's true. But those are not often the best restaurants.

SPEAKER_04 43:28

No, that's true. Well, we won't win.

SPEAKER_01 43:30

And they're always so busy. I can't I can't do the crowds. All right. One thing every buyer forgets to look for in a waterfront home.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

Maybe depth.

SPEAKER_02 43:43

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 43:44

Water depth and what what kind of boat they want, and will it go there?

SPEAKER_02 43:48

That's a good one, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:48

Yeah, because I know even like where I where I'm at in Avalon shores, like, you know, you've got all these beautiful houses, but you're not getting on the water, but you're not getting a boat in there. Right. Yes, characteristics. You got a lovely, you got a lovely dock. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:02

I carry a lead line, which is an old time thing with a weight on the bottom and a mark at every foot.

SPEAKER_03 44:09

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

And I go out on the dock and drop it down.

SPEAKER_03 44:13

Well, you're a good ruler. Old school. You're a good rule. Um, I although they probably have that now, I would imagine, like where it tells you the water depth, like near the house on a waterfront property. Do they not? You really have to double-check it for yourself.

SPEAKER_02 44:27

There's no reliable place that you can tax interest here.

SPEAKER_03 44:30

There you go, guys. Here's an offshoot of your business, you know?

SPEAKER_00 44:34

That's part of the local knowledge.

SPEAKER_01 44:36

Mm-hmm. Your turn. Best decade for Annapolis architecture.

SPEAKER_02 44:40

Oh. Well, I love like the mid-century modern.

SPEAKER_00 44:45

And I love the colonial era. The right downtown old.

SPEAKER_03 44:50

Oh, yeah. I mean, you it's that's fun just walking down. Like, yeah. And over in West Annapolis. Historic homes are beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 44:57

West Annapolis is incredible over there.

SPEAKER_03 45:00

Oh, a hundred percent. Talk about a tiny house worth a fortune. Um, early morning fishing or Wednesday night sailboat racing. Oh, well, I would be Wednesday night sailboat racing.

SPEAKER_00 45:14

And that would be early morning fishing.

SPEAKER_03 45:15

There you go. You meet for lunch and then go your separate ways.

SPEAKER_01 45:18

All right, last one. The one word that describes the Whitman team style. Community.

SPEAKER_00 45:27

I think honest, competent service.

SPEAKER_01 45:30

We'll take three words. Yeah, we'll take three words.

SPEAKER_00 45:33

Oh, did you say one word?

SPEAKER_01 45:34

No, that you can well, honest. You'd be the you've earned you've earned three words, Bill. That's been in a long time.

SPEAKER_03 45:41

This has been delightful.

SPEAKER_00 45:42

I don't listen, but I earned three words. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 45:45

Well, if you guys are in search for a new home, on the water, off the water, you're on Bill's contact information.

SPEAKER_01 45:53

It'll be in the show notes.

SPEAKER_03 45:55

Um any last words you'd like to leave your uh potential or your current clients? Because I'm sure you have repeat clients, yeah? We do.

SPEAKER_02 46:03

I mean, we're incredibly lucky that most of our business is referral or you know, word of mouth. And so, yeah, we just I'd say the why I said community is because we just love being in this area. It's obviously where I grew up and we live and we love to be an ambassador for how great it is. Perfect.

SPEAKER_00 46:22

And that's why she still wants me on the on the team because I have a lot of depth in previous clients. Yeah. And they call me and I say, Millia, we got another person that wants to sell our house. Millia, I got another person.

SPEAKER_03 46:35

Won't let them retire. There you go. That's okay. Yeah, it's all right. We don't want you to retire. Thank you so much for having us. You were welcome. You guys keep selling them homes. We'll have all the information in the show notes. So thank you very much for listening to the Voices of Annapolis, where every voice tells our story. Keep the conversation coming, Neptown!