Hometown Happenings

Halloween Hustle with Beta Upsilon & Real Estate Insights

• Angela Ballard & Aundrea Rogers • Season 3 • Episode 1

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Get ready to be inspired by Abby and Haley from Beta Upsilon, as they share the heartfelt mission of their local chapter of Beta Epsilon in Harrison. Discover how their organization has been creating meaningful connections and making a difference for over three decades, especially through their incredible support for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Learn all about the exciting Halloween Hustle 5K and other impactful initiatives like the Clothes for Kids program and the Mr. and Ms. Harrison pageant, designed to uplift children in the community. If you're moved by their cause and eager to join their efforts, find out how you can get involved via Facebook.

Curious about the latest buzz in the real estate market? Tune in to hear our detailed discussion on the shift to a buyer's market, the impact of seasonal factors, and the benefits of having more listings available. We also share some valuable tips for sellers, including the importance of preparing homes for photography. Stay engaged with us through social media and event participation—we're excited to hear your feedback and grateful for your continued support!

The Home Team
Angela Ballard & Drea Rogers
870-577-6754 | 870-577-0276
Weichert Market Edge

https://aundrea-rogers.weichertmarketedge.com
www.angelaballardrealtor.com

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 1 of Hometown Happenings Yay. So this season we're doing things a little bit different. We are going to try to do it real podcast style, with no video and better audio. So today we have some guests with us. We have Beta Upsilon. So we have Abby and Haley with us from Beta Upsilon and they're going to tell us a little bit about their organization and some of the upcoming events they have and the things that they like to do in the community. Haley tell us a little bit about Beta.

Speaker 2:

Upsilon. So Beta Upsilon is our local chapter here in Harrison of Epsilon, sigma Alpha, our international organization. It's been around for many, many, many years. We have members who have been in it here locally even for over 30 years, very long time. The mission is good friends, good works, good times. So you know, part of our, what we do, is get together, have fun, just do like socials to have fun. We do pool parties but at the end of the day we are really about, you know, raising money for different causes or even just volunteering our time anywhere that we can this sounds like fun.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you like pool parties.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, socializing oh well, not that part water part.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, anything in water.

Speaker 3:

You're like a fish mermaid mermaid I don't get more over 30, over 30 years, people have purchased. That's commitment. Oh yeah, legit commitment.

Speaker 1:

You can't commit to anything. I committed to this with you. Beta Epsilon has over 30 years in Harrison. They have several members. They meet once a month.

Speaker 3:

Now, but they have charities that they support. So you guys mentioned earlier when I was making you chit chat before we started recording St Jude is a big one.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yeah, so that is the charity, or one of them, that we support at the international level. So every chapter and whatever level within ESA supports St Jude. So you know, that is something that has become really important to us. We've learned a lot about it through Beta, upsilon and ESA. I mean, it is just so cool the support that they provide for those families, the fact that none of them go home with a bill is really nice.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, because they're already going through the worst time of their life essentially. So the financial strain that that can put on a family, I can't imagine. So you guys have an event here coming up soon. Is that going to support St Jude? Is that where those proceeds?

Speaker 2:

are going. Yes, so in October, on October 19th, we have our Halloween Hustle 5K and all of the proceeds from that do go to benefit St Jude. We have got some really cool t-shirts this year for it.

Speaker 3:

We're getting some fall themed medals like got pumpkins on them so we're really excited about it and hoping to grow the event this year that sounds pretty cool.

Speaker 2:

Where do you go to like sign? You have to pre-register. Yes, you can register online. You can find it on run sign up. If you just go on there and search for halloween hustle, it should come up. Or you can find us on facebook and get to the event through there, okay, so show notes show notes show notes, show notes, yeah, I was going to say.

Speaker 1:

we need to put that link in our show notes. What does it cost to sign up? It is $35. $35. Okay, and where did you tell me earlier that the race is at?

Speaker 2:

So it starts down at the Instaff Bank Soccer Complex and then you just kind of you got to do two laps this year because we can't go as far because of the bridge construction. You just run that loop around there and then up as close to the bridge you can get and back.

Speaker 1:

You want to run that.

Speaker 3:

I don't want to run. We can walk it, but I don't run anywhere.

Speaker 1:

Locally. What kind of charity events do you guys do on a local level?

Speaker 2:

So locally, the biggest one we do is our Christmas shopping program. We call it Clothes for Kids. We'll take one kid from each local school. They get to go to Walmart with us and they have $150 spending limit and they get clothes, shoes, socks, whatever they need. And then Walmart also gives them a gift every year. So that part is really cool.

Speaker 2:

They get something to play with too, and then we also invite, like a counselor or administrator from the school and they get to spend $600,. I believe it is to buy things like that for all the other kids at their school who might need something and to support that we have the Mr and Ms Harrison pageant.

Speaker 1:

I was about to ask you what other things do you do to raise money for that. So, Mr and Ms Harrison, when do you guys do that's?

Speaker 2:

usually in the spring.

Speaker 3:

I think this year it was in may april okay, like near crawdad days right a couple weeks before, usually yeah because they can participate in crawdad days things, if they, you know, pageant winners kind of thing okay, so do people like sign up to be a candidate in said pageant?

Speaker 1:

Is that how this works?

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, yeah, Robin Reeves I'm sure most people know Robin takes care of the whole pageant for us and she does a great job. And so she sends sign up forms like out to the local schools. She'll have them at the cake shop, at the dress shop and you can just sign your kiddo up. She'll even take them day of typically.

Speaker 3:

And they do have a little boys part of it, and a lot of pageants don't, at least not up to a certain age, but this one does, if, if somebody wanted to join.

Speaker 1:

How do they do that?

Speaker 2:

um, they could reach out to us on facebook. That's probably the best way to get in touch with us. Does somebody have?

Speaker 1:

to sponsor you or you just be like lions club. Hey, I want want to join your group.

Speaker 2:

Right. So we do technically, like I was her sponsor. But it's kind of chilled out recently because, like a lot of organizations, we are struggling a little bit to get new members. So if somebody is interested they can just kind of say you know, hey, what's this all about? We're actually inviting some new people to our October meeting to kind of just show them what we do. So, yeah, just you know, reach out to us. If you know anybody that's in Beta Epsilon you should go to their October meeting.

Speaker 3:

I kind of am thinking about it when is your October meeting? It's October 1st at 530.

Speaker 2:

Where's it at?

Speaker 1:

We have them at North Arc, oh cool.

Speaker 2:

Okay, I can do that and you can take your green drink and go mingle, make friends. We are going to have cookies.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I bet they have stuff from the cake shop all the time You'd be down. Oh, I didn't even think about that Sugar it's your thing.

Speaker 3:

That's not completely accurate.

Speaker 1:

Okay, what did you? Have for breakfast An apple danish With a side of green apple Red Bull drink. Oh, why are you being hateful? Today I had tacos for lunch. What was on top of those tacos? Pineapple Chutney. It was very sugary and sweet. It was fantastic.

Speaker 3:

There was pork on there. That's not sugar when were the tacos from.

Speaker 2:

The only restaurant I seem to eat at.

Speaker 3:

I get stuck in the same. I don't do well with change when it comes to food and I'll stay on a path for three or four months and then I will change it up. And before it was the salmon at jamie's and now we may have transitioned to sweet honey, since they opened she frequents sweet honey.

Speaker 1:

she needs like a subscription to their versus you, you know, like actually paying, carly, if you're listening to this. Drea needs a subscription to your restaurant, and they got some pretty good cheesecake down there too, by the way.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I do love cheesecake.

Speaker 1:

It's really good. We get off topic and go down rabbit trails and all the things. But October the 19th, we're going to go down a trail at Ann Staff's Arbor Complex to the Hustle 5K to raise money for St Jude's.

Speaker 3:

Just out of curiosity, since it's the Halloween hustle, are costumes encouraged, encouraged.

Speaker 1:

yes, oh my gosh, we can do it in our Harry.

Speaker 2:

Potter robes, please do.

Speaker 3:

Oh my gosh, we can. And if our Harry Potter robes, please do? Oh my gosh, we can. And if you don't want to, I'll take Luke in your place.

Speaker 1:

I was going to say is Luke going to let me wear his robe?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I've already gotten it all eight-year-old approved oh my, we're gonna walk the 5k, and harry potter harry potter robes with wands.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, fyi, she's a slytherin I'm a ravenclaw, I'm a hufflepuff.

Speaker 3:

Oh my god, we're all oh my gosh, if this wasn't meant to be, I don't know what is I know right well, thank you guys so much for coming on our podcast.

Speaker 2:

It was fun. Thanks for having us yeah.

Speaker 3:

Okay, so since this is episode one of season three, I feel like we should definitely hit on some what's changed in our real estate market here locally.

Speaker 1:

Yes, for sure. I feel like the numbers that we pulled recently are showing that we're kind of moving into a buyer's market over a seller's market right, I agree with you, but interest rates are starting to trend down.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we did have them dip into the fours there for a second or two. I don't know where they're at right now.

Speaker 1:

I don't know yet this week, but I saw last week a specific lender sent me something that had FHA at 4.8.

Speaker 3:

I'm pretty sure yeah, that sounds right.

Speaker 1:

So not all lenders were in the fours, but this particular one was in the fours, which I was like, yeah, right, but the best news news?

Speaker 1:

Yeah for sure, but I feel like houses are staying on the market longer. We have more listings, right, so that's more options where we're trending into that buyer's market, but people are still buying, right. It's just not the craziness that we've had in the past and I think, because of where we have been to where we are now, we have people with unrealistic expectations. So you just need to be educated up front. So you know it's going to take me a little longer than it did. So, overall, going into the fall real estate market is a different season because you know kids are in school and they, so we don't see as much movement as far as people buying and selling, simply because you know who wants to transplant their kid from one school to the next in the middle of a school year and stuff like that, unless you're just moving across town. That's not always something that happens this time of year especially in the first quarter.

Speaker 1:

We haven't even got first quarter report cards yet yeah, and then you know, then we move into Christmas and Thanksgiving, which people want to have a place to do the holidays. They don't want to be thinking about packing and stuff like that. So that always tends to. There's just that's just a slower time, right? Not saying that people don't buy and sell, because that's not true. I want to. For the last two years, my best months have been october, so you know people do it, but it just tends to be a different season, like we've said. Well then we do find that they're more serious, yes, less lucky lose. They know that they're going to be doing all of these things spending money for down payments and closing costs and doing all of these serious things during a busy time of year. Do you feel like we've had any challenges in the market recently?

Speaker 3:

In the market or in this partnership listings all of our daily in and outs.

Speaker 1:

No, I'm talking about real estate market RD direct loans. Those are a great benefit for a lot of our homebuyers out there who need that lower payment. They need the no down payment. They, you know their payments are very controlled by the government. They have a lot of subsidies and things that help with those payments so they can actually become homeowners. But on the lending side it can be very difficult for a seller to want to buy in.

Speaker 3:

So I knew that there is a difference between RD direct and there's the local lender RD loan. But I didn't know until I had an RD direct loan client the negativity that can be seen from a seller's point of view when there's a buyer trying to purchase with an RD direct loan. And I've been getting a little bit of pushback.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's unfortunate. It's just one of those more difficult loan types because they tend to want a lot of repairs done to the home and they're not necessarily bad repairs, but it's things that are not always necessary. They're a little nit, just a little more pickier than the others. Yeah, and then it makes it hard on, like I said, for the buyer, because they really need that loan type to be able to get into a home.

Speaker 3:

Right, and it allows them to maybe purchase a little more home that they need for less money a month Right, but the other thing that I'm running into is the expected time it takes to close it. Now we've had an agent here in the office that was able to close one in less than 40 days, yeah, but what they're saying is typical is upwards of 90, sometimes even more than that. Yeah, and I can get why a seller wouldn't want to tie up their house for that long.

Speaker 1:

For that long. Yeah, you feel like we're seeing more homes going with the contingency that they need to sell another house than we have in the past. I don't think so.

Speaker 3:

Not necessarily, not more of it.

Speaker 1:

But a lot of our things their houses haven't been under contract, which has been different than we saw in the past. Yeah, so that's another aspect of the contracts that we're having to work through, because we don't want to just tie up houses For long periods of time Because there's such a domino effect if one of them doesn't close. But one of the good things right now is that we have a lot of listings, so there are options when people are out looking. If you need a house with a basement, you're probably gonna have several to look at in your price point and right and then people aren't having to settle yeah, and we're able to get sellers to kind of work a little bit with the buyers right like, and the whole process doesn't feel as rushed Like.

Speaker 3:

Hurry up, it won't be available tomorrow.

Speaker 1:

Yes, for sure. You're not having to go out there and compete with 9,000 people for one house, and our appraisers are getting their appraisals done in a quick and timely manner and not dragging them along. You have any tips if you're thinking about selling your house. Drea tips if you're thinking about selling your house, drea.

Speaker 3:

It may be a little weird, but a big thing for me is not only when we photograph it, so not only in the prep work to get ready to take the pictures. It's like online dating, like we've said, and you got to have your best foot forward, but not only in that aspect, but it has to be show ready because they're still going to come in the door and I would use it as a time to do some purging of items, maybe have a garage sale, but the less full the home appears and you need to depersonalize, and I think that can make a huge difference.

Speaker 1:

I also think that I know a lot of times people get really hung up on the way the inside of the house looks, but the first thing people see is the outside of the house when they drive up, right, right.

Speaker 3:

And so if you can make your front yard look nice and pretty, and it's not even necessarily that it needs elaborate landscaping, it just tidy up, make it look neat.

Speaker 1:

And they can go a long ways.

Speaker 3:

Very much so, but these are all things that lead to people once they're there. It needs to be maintained that way. Right, so we can do it for the photos, but it needs to be maintained during the life of the listing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, because when people see it online they get a little annoyed if they show up and it doesn't look the same.

Speaker 3:

Which is totally fair, because no one wants to be catfished yeah.

Speaker 1:

So let's talk a little bit about the upcoming episodes of the pod. So we told you earlier we're doing things a little bit differently. We're just going to do like video, so like a true pod no video, no video. Currently we're just going to do like video, so like a true pod. No, no video, no video, just audio. Trying to make things easier for Drea. Hopefully we'll have some b-roll videos, that sort of thing for you guys to kind of get some insights on what's coming with the podcast.

Speaker 3:

Well, we are doing this in a new location, so things have changed for us as a team here lately.

Speaker 1:

We've moved into a new office yeah, we got a nice office with a window view, so if you're ever like out and about by Weikert Realtors, we may be here.

Speaker 3:

You should stop and see us and drive by like Ben does and wave out the dump truck, mm-hmm.

Speaker 1:

He likes us. We know he might be a little biased.

Speaker 3:

Uh-huh, we know. So yeah, we're in a new location, we're remodeling the old location, so it's maybe this way for a little bit, but this is what we're trying out See how it works. Better quality audio, yes, and we hope you like it. Hopefully you can hear me roll my eyes.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, because you can't see the eye rolls anymore. Trust me, they're still here. We are also hoping to have more guests on our podcast. So we started today with Abby and Haley from Beta Upsilon and we're hoping to be able to get more people like. They reached out to us and wanted to be on the pod and hopefully we can get some other people that are interested. We would love to have you.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we want to help you guys.

Speaker 1:

That's why we started this was to be helpful in our community, help spread the word about events, charities, anything that we can do to help. And we are going to do another what a girl wants event in february, and there will be more news about that in the coming months. And, oh, we are going to give you a little bit of insight, I believe, in our next episode about creekside, because drea and I did get to go on a tour of Creekside.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. So if that name doesn't sound familiar, that's the new complex yeah Rec Center, the city of Harrison is put together With the in-ground pool Very nice, and a convertible roof yeah, for lack of an appropriate term.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so we'll tell you more about that in our next episode. So we already talked about submitting requests. You can message us on our Hometown Happenings Facebook.

Speaker 3:

If you drive by a home team billboard, our cell phone number is on there.

Speaker 1:

You can text us or you can Google Weikert Realtors and you can find us here.

Speaker 3:

They won't mind. If you call the front office, steph will forward it to us, that's right.

Speaker 1:

Meanwhile, you can catch us at the Hustle 5K. We're going to do it right in our Halloween costumes, absolutely yeah, and in our show notes we'll have some links to that. Sign up for the Beta Upsilon Hustle 5K.

Speaker 3:

Also we almost forgot our Lead Hill event that's coming up Fall Festival Alex at the Farm Stand and if you guys remember back was it season one that we interviewed.

Speaker 1:

Redeeming the Time Farm Stand in Lead Hill.

Speaker 3:

We're huge fans of Alex and everything that she's brought to our little community and the things that she, the events that she hosts and all the things. But she is doing a Har festival again this year. It is September 28th and I believe it's from 2 pm to 8 pm. They have vendors that set up games and stuff that's played. It's a good thing to take kids to brings that small town community together. Um so, if you are free September 28th in the evening, stop by redeeming the time for the Harvest Festival.

Speaker 1:

Well, guys, we're going to sign out for today, but thanks for checking us out.

Speaker 3:

Please like us on all the social media, please, and give us feedback if you like this audio thing, if you like the video thing better, and you know we're trying something new, so let us know, see ya.

People on this episode

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Angela Ballard

Host
Contributor

Aundrea Rogers

Co-host