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How To Buy Stock As A Gift For A Child (The Guide For Parents And Family)


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Key Points
  • A contribution to a parent-owned 529 plan is the best gift of stock for most kids, since it grows tax-free for education and counts for no more than 5.64% on the FAFSA.
  • A UGMA or UTMA custodial account lets you give real shares of a favorite company, but the child takes full control of the account at 18 or 21 in most states.
  • Family members can now add up to $5,000 a year combined to a child’s Trump Account, which stays invested in U.S. stock index funds until the child turns 18.

Ask a parent what their kids want for Christmas and you’ll usually get a long sigh first. Most parents are already buried in toys, and a child who opens 20 holiday gifts is usually down to one or two favorites by mid-January.

A share of stock is a better gift for most kids. It won’t clutter the house, and it can keep growing long after the toys are gone. As a millennial parent, I’m personally tired of the plastic junk too.

Giving stock in 2026 comes with more choices than it did a year ago. Families can give through a 529 plan, a custodial account or the new Trump Accounts that opened to contributions on July 4, 2026. Here’s how each one works, ranked in the order we’d pick them.

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Talk To The Parents First

Ask which accounts the child already has before you buy anything. Adding to an existing 529 plan or custodial account beats opening a duplicate, and our article on how to gift money to a 529 plan lists the questions to ask.

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Table Of Contents
  1. What Is The Best Way To Give Stock To A Kid?
  2. Why Is A 529 Plan The Best Gift Of Stock?
  3. How Do You Gift Shares Through A UGMA Or UTMA Account?
  4. How Do You Give Money To A Child’s Trump Account?
  1. Can You Give A Framed Share Of Stock?
  2. How Much Stock Can You Give Without Gift Tax In 2026?
  3. When Should You Send A Stock Gift For Christmas?
  4. How Can You Teach Kids About The Stock They Own?

What Is The Best Way To Give Stock To A Kid?

The best way to give stock to a kid in 2026 is a contribution to their 529 plan. The money goes into stock and bond funds, and the growth is tax-free when it pays for education. A parent-owned 529 also has the smallest effect on financial aid, as our breakdown of how a 529 plan affects the FAFSA shows.

A UGMA or UTMA custodial account comes second because it lets you give real shares of a company the child knows, such as Disney or Apple. The trade-off is control, since the child gets the account as a young adult. Our list of the best custodial investment accounts compares where to open one.

The Trump Account is third. It’s a solid long-term gift, but the money is locked until 18 and counts against the child on the FAFSA.

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529 Plan Vs. UGMA/UTMA Vs. Trump Account 2026
Gift Option Best For Who Owns It How Much Family Can Give FAFSA Treatment Child Gets Control
1. 529 Plan College and other education costs Account owner, usually a parent $19,000 per giver before a gift tax return, or $95,000 with a five-year election Parent asset, up to 5.64% No, the owner keeps control
2. UGMA/UTMA Giving shares of a specific company The child, managed by a custodian No account limit, gift tax rules apply Student asset, 20% At 18 or 21 in most states, up to 25 in some
3. Trump Account Long-term, retirement-style investing The child, managed by a parent $5,000 per child per year, all family and employer money combined Student asset, 20% At 18, when it becomes a traditional IRA
Source: IRS, U.S. Department of Education. The College Investor.

Why Is A 529 Plan The Best Gift Of Stock?

A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged education account, and most plans invest in stock and bond index funds. Earnings grow tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified costs such as tuition and room and board are tax-free too. That tax break is the main edge in any 529 plan vs. brokerage account comparison.

Small gifts add up in a 529. I have two kids, and both have 529 plans that we’ve funded with cash they received for birthdays and Christmas. Each account now holds several thousand dollars. Steady gifts like these are how families reach our 529 savings targets by age.

A parent-owned 529 is a parent asset on the FAFSA, assessed at no more than 5.64%. A grandparent-owned 529 plan isn’t reported on the FAFSA at all, which makes it a strong choice for grandparents with larger gifts. A child with a disability may also have an ABLE account that accepts gifts the same way.

How To Give Money To A Child’s 529 Plan

Most state 529 plans have a gifting page, and many use Ugift, which gives the family a code to share with relatives. You enter the code and pay from your bank account. The money goes straight into the child’s plan. Our article on gifting money to a 529 plan walks through each method.

Backer is a 529 gifting platform where parents set up a page and share a link with family. In our family, it’s the main way grandma and grandpa give money to our kids. Our Backer review explains how it works with existing state plans.

Gift of College sells physical and digital gift cards that the family redeems into a 529 plan, which gives you something to put under the tree. The buyer pays a purchase fee, so compare it with a free online contribution first. Our Gift of College review covers how redemption works.

Upromise is a free cash back program that sweeps shopping and dining rewards into a linked 529 plan. It works well for grandparents who want to add a little all year.

How Much Can You Give To A 529 Plan In 2026?

You can give up to $19,000 to one child’s 529 plan in 2026 without filing a gift tax return, and a married couple can give $38,000. A five-year election lets one person put in $95,000 at once and spread it over five years for gift tax purposes. That election has to be reported on IRS Form 709, as our article on 529 plan contribution limits explains.

How Do You Gift Shares Through A UGMA Or UTMA Account?

To give real shares to a child, the shares go into a custodial account set up under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) or the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA). An adult custodian manages the account, but the money legally belongs to the child from day one. Our breakdown of the pros and cons of UGMA accounts covers the rules.

If the child already has a custodial account at your brokerage, the gift is usually quick. If not, the parent can open one online with the child’s Social Security number and birth date. Teens 13 to 17 can also use a teen brokerage account, which works differently from a UTMA.

You can transfer shares you already own or send cash for the parent to invest. Shares you own carry your original cost basis to the child, so the child owes tax on the full capital gain when they sell.

How To Gift Stock At Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard And Robinhood

Each major broker handles stock gifts a little differently. Open the box for your brokerage to see the steps, or check our list of the best online stock brokers if you don’t have an account yet.

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How To Gift Stock By Brokerage
FidelityGift Form, 1 To 4 Days
  1. Confirm the child has a Fidelity custodial account, or ask the parent to open one online.
  2. For a gift to another Fidelity account, fill out the Transfer Between Existing Fidelity Accounts form.
  3. For a gift to an account at another firm, use the Transfer Shares as a Gift form with the receiving firm’s name and account number.
  4. Sign the form and upload it to Fidelity, or mail it.

Fidelity lists both forms on its how to gift shares page. Gifts of $10,000 or less to another Fidelity account don’t need a signature guarantee and take one to four days, according to Fidelity’s account services FAQ. Our Fidelity review covers its custodial accounts.

Charles SchwabFractional Shares From $1
  1. Open a Schwab One Custodial Account online with the child’s birth date and Social Security number.
  2. Fund the account online.
  3. Buy most U.S.-listed stocks or ETFs by dollar amount or number of shares, starting at $1 with fractional shares.
  4. To move shares you already own into the child’s account, call Schwab for the right transfer form.

Schwab markets this as a way to give the gift of ownership in a favorite company. Our Charles Schwab review covers fees and account types.

VanguardOnline Gift Tool, 1 To 3 Days
  1. Log in and start a gift from a Vanguard nonretirement account. Retirement accounts can’t send gifts.
  2. Choose a number of shares or a dollar amount, then pick a cost basis method.
  3. Enter the child’s Vanguard account number. For an account at another firm, enter the firm’s name, its DTC number and the account name and number.
  4. Submit the gift at least three business days before the last business day of the year if it needs to count for 2026.

Gifts take one to three business days inside Vanguard and up to five to seven days for outside firms, according to Vanguard’s stock gifting page. Our Vanguard review covers its custodial account options.

RobinhoodGifting Link, No Account Needed
  1. The parent opens a Robinhood custodial account (UTMA) in the app or on the web.
  2. The parent shares the gifting link from the custodial account’s dashboard.
  3. You use the link to send cash, stock or ETFs, even if you don’t have a Robinhood account.
  4. A custodian who moves shares from their own Robinhood account into the custodial account can’t move them back.

Robinhood’s custodial account gifting link is the simplest option for relatives who don’t invest. Our Robinhood review covers the rest of the platform.

What To Know Before You Give Shares To A Custodial Account

A custodial gift is permanent. The child takes full control at the state’s termination age, which is usually 18 or 21 and as late as 25 in some states. The child can spend the money on anything at that point. That loss of control is the biggest difference from a 529 plan, where the owner decides how the money is used.

Investment income in the account is taxed to the child. In 2026, the first $2,700 of a child’s unearned income gets favorable treatment, and anything above $2,700 is taxed at the parents’ rate under the kiddie tax.

On the FAFSA, a custodial account is a student asset assessed at 20%. A $10,000 custodial balance raises the child’s Student Aid Index by $2,000, compared with no more than $564 for the same money in a parent-owned 529.

How Do You Give Money To A Child’s Trump Account?

You give to a Trump Account by contributing through the official Trump Accounts app after the parent claims the child’s account. Family members, friends and employers can add up to $5,000 a year per child combined, and the money is invested in low-cost U.S. stock index funds. Our Trump Accounts article covers the full rules.

Trump Accounts began accepting contributions on July 4, 2026. Treasury also started opening an account for every eligible child under 18 with a Social Security number on or about October 1, 2026. Those automatic accounts can’t take money from relatives until a parent claims the account, as we reported in our coverage of Treasury’s auto-open plan.

How To Give To A Trump Account This Christmas

  1. Ask the parent first. Confirm the parent has claimed the child’s account in the Trump Accounts app.
  2. Check the family total. The $5,000 cap covers every contributor combined, so ask how much others have already given in 2026.
  3. Contribute through the app. Use the official Trump Accounts app or the contribution option the parent shares from it.
  4. Keep a record. Save the date and amount in case you need it for gift tax purposes.

The $1,000 federal deposit for babies born from 2025 through 2028 doesn’t count toward the $5,000 cap. Parents still have to file Form 4547 to get it, as our article on claiming the $1,000 Trump Account deposit explains.

Most family contributions won’t need a gift tax return. The IRS created a safe harbor for Trump Account contributions in June 2026, so they count toward the annual gift tax exclusion like other gifts.

The Trump Account ranks third because the money is locked until 18 and limited to index funds. The FAFSA treats it as a student asset at 20%, and withdrawals are taxed like a traditional IRA. Our comparison of Trump Accounts vs. 529 plans shows where each one wins.

Can You Give A Framed Share Of Stock?

Yes. GiveAShare sells one real share of stock registered in the child’s name, delivered with a framed, personalized certificate. It’s the gift to pick when the child should have something to unwrap, and our GiveAShare review breaks down what it costs.

Framed SpaceX stock certificate from GiveAShare showing a rocket launch over Mars, a limited IPO edition seal and a gold engraved nameplate, in a black frame with a white mat

This year’s standout is SpaceX, which went public on the Nasdaq on June 12, 2026. GiveAShare sells a registered SpaceX share with a limited-edition IPO certificate, shown above in a black frame with an engraved plaque.

A GiveAShare gift costs the share’s market price plus a $39 service fee, and frame upgrades add more. The fees are large next to the value of one share, so treat it as a keepsake rather than the main investment. Our roundup of where to buy a real framed stock certificate covers other sellers.

The framed certificate ships within two business days, and the ownership paperwork follows in about 3 to 7 weeks. A Surprise Date option holds registration until a date you choose, such as Christmas morning. Unique Stock Gifts sells a similar framed share if you want to compare prices.

How Much Stock Can You Give Without Gift Tax In 2026?

You can give up to $19,000 to each person in 2026 without filing a gift tax return, and married couples can give $38,000 by splitting gifts. The limit applies per recipient, so a grandparent can give $19,000 to every grandchild. Our gift tax rules article has more examples.

Gifts above $19,000 require IRS Form 709, but you won’t owe gift tax until your lifetime gifts pass $15 million. Your gifts to one child all count toward the same $19,000, including 529, custodial and Trump Account contributions. Shares count at their market value on the day of the gift. Our article on 529 plan contribution limits shows how a five-year election fits in.

Tuition you pay directly to a school doesn’t count toward the $19,000 at all. That makes direct tuition payments a useful extra tool for grandparents helping with college.

When Should You Send A Stock Gift For Christmas?

Start a stock gift by early December so it lands before Christmas and counts for 2026. Brokerages value a gift on the day they process the transfer, so a gift that settles in January counts toward your 2027 limit. Opening a new custodial account adds time, since the account has to be open and funded first.

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Stock Gift Timing For Christmas 2026
Gift How Long It Takes What To Do First
Fidelity Gift To A Fidelity Account 1 to 4 days Get the child’s Fidelity account number
Vanguard Gift 1 to 3 business days, 5 to 7 for other firms Submit 3 business days before the last business day of the year
Robinhood Gifting Link Depends on payment method Ask the parent to share the link
GiveAShare Framed Share Frame ships in 2 business days, registration in 3 to 7 weeks Have the child’s legal name and an adult custodian ready
Trump Account Depends on the parent claiming the account Confirm the account is claimed in the app
Source: Fidelity, Vanguard, Robinhood, GiveAShare, U.S. Treasury. The College Investor.

Ask for account details right after Thanksgiving, then send the gift by mid-December. If the parents haven’t opened an account yet, a 529 gifting page or a Gift of College card still works as a last-minute gift on Christmas Eve.

How Can You Teach Kids About The Stock They Own?

The lessons that come with a gift of stock matter more than the share itself. Show the child how to look up their company’s stock price, or read the annual report together when it arrives. Our financial literacy resources have more ideas for every age.

A money book is a good add-on to any stock gift. These are our picks by age, and our list of the best personal finance books has more for older teens.

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Money Books For Kids By Age
Age Book Author
Ages 0-4 Money A To Z Scott Alan Turner
Ages 5-8 A Chair For My Mother Vera B. Williams
Ages 9-11 The Secret Millionaires Club Andy and Amy Heward
Ages 12-14 The Young Entrepreneur’s Guide To Starting And Running A Business Steve Mariotti
Ages 15-17 The Money Savvy Student Adam Carroll
Ages 18+ I Will Teach You To Be Rich Ramit Sethi
Picks by The College Investor.

Gift Of Stock FAQs

Can You Buy Stock For A Child Without A Custodial Account?

Yes, with a framed share from GiveAShare, which registers the share to the child with an adult custodian. You can also contribute to a 529 plan the parent owns. A child under 18 can’t hold a regular brokerage account alone, though some investment accounts for teens let a parent and teen share one.

Can Grandparents Give Stock To A Grandchild?

Yes. Grandparents can contribute to a 529 plan, give shares through a custodial account or add to a Trump Account. A grandparent-owned 529 plan isn’t reported on the FAFSA, which is why our article on how grandparents can save for college favors it.

Can You Gift Fractional Shares Of Stock?

Yes, inside a custodial account at a broker that sells fractional shares, such as Schwab. GiveAShare sells only whole shares. Our article on buying fractional shares lists brokers that offer them.

Does A Gift Of Stock Affect Financial Aid?

It depends on the account. A parent-owned 529 counts for up to 5.64% on the FAFSA, while custodial accounts and Trump Accounts count as student assets at 20%. Our article on 529 plans and financial aid runs the numbers.

Who Pays Taxes When A Child Sells Gifted Stock?

The child pays the tax, based on the giver’s original cost basis. Gains and dividends above $2,700 a year can be taxed at the parents’ rate under the kiddie tax rules.

Editor: Clint Proctor

Reviewed by: Claire Tak

The post How To Buy Stock As A Gift For A Child (The Guide For Parents And Family) appeared first on The College Investor.

Citi Offers: 15% Off Home Depot (up to $30)


Update 11/4/26: Offer is back at $5 on a purchase of $50+. Can be done 3x. Expired 11/30. Valid online or in store. (ht karmafuture)

The Offer

Check your Citi cards for one of these offers at Home Depot:

  • Earn 15% Back on any purchase. One-time use. Online or in-store.  Maximum reward of $30 statement credit. Expires 7/31/26.
  • Earn $5 Back on a purchase of $50 or more. Minimum of $50 or more in a single-receipt purchase, one-time, online and in-store, with maximum reward of $5 statement credit. Expires 7/31/26.

Our Verdict

Nice savings. 

Hat tip to reader David

Apple’s Latest Siri Announcement Could Mean the End of Apps on Your iPhone




Apple’s Latest Siri Announcement Could Mean the End of Apps on Your iPhone

MortgageDepot Now Licensed In California


MortgageDepot is pleased to announce that we are officially licensed to do business in California, marking another important milestone in our continued nationwide expansion.

With this expansion, MortgageDepot continues to strengthen its presence across the country, providing access to a wide range of mortgage solutions and helping more borrowers navigate the home financing process.

We look forward to growing our presence in California and continuing to serve homebuyers across the nation.

How Abdul El-Sayed would build Medicare for All, from a wealth tax to a Fed-style governing board



Near the end of his victory speech in Detroit early Wednesday, Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed returned to the line that carried his campaign: “It shouldn’t be this hard to see a doctor in the richest, most powerful country in the world.”

El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s open Senate race on a night when Democrats captured both chambers of Congress. He arrives in Washington as one of the country’s most prominent advocates of Medicare for All, a public, universal, single-payer system, and as the co-author of a detailed plan for how it would work.

The issue resonated with voters in both parties. In the NBC News Exit Poll, which surveyed more than 79,000 voters, 85% said they were very or somewhat concerned about healthcare costs. Sixty-one percent said the federal government should play a bigger role in helping Americans get it.

Democrats campaigned on healthcare costs across the country, but the party is split on the fix. Many moderates want to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, which expanded coverage through Medicaid and subsidized private marketplaces. For El-Sayed and other progressives, Medicare for All remains the gold standard, and a single public payer would replace much of the private insurance business that sustains some of America’s largest companies.

UnitedHealth Group is No. 3 on the 2026 Fortune 500 and the biggest healthcare company on the list. CVS Health, which owns Aetna, ranks No. 6, and Elevance Health ranks No. 18. El-Sayed has singled out the industry before: in 2022, in written testimony to the Senate Budget Committee, he noted that UnitedHealth’s second-quarter profit in 2020 nearly doubled from a year earlier.

El-Sayed, 42, holds a medical degree and a doctorate, ran Detroit’s health department from 2015 to 2017, and later directed Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services. He and co-author Micah Johnson laid out their vision in the 2021 book Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide, which offers the clearest picture of how the policy could take shape as progressives grow in Congress.

What El-Sayed’s version of Medicare for All would cover

In the book, El-Sayed and Johnson describe Medicare for All as “an enhanced version of the traditional Medicare program that tens of millions of seniors rely on today,” one that would insure every American for life.

A “core tenet” of the policy, they write, is comprehensive coverage: physician visits, prescription drugs, and emergency services, potentially extending to long-term care, vision, and dental. Patients could see any participating provider, eliminating out-of-network charges.

El-Sayed has also pitched the system as more durable than employer-based coverage. “Turn 26, get a job, lose a job, get married, get divorced: none of these would cost you your health insurance under Medicare for All,” he wrote in the same Senate testimony.

One element has shifted. In a 2020 podcast, El-Sayed said Medicare for All “does away with the private insurance market,” Bridge Michigan reported. During this campaign, he said his version would not ban private plans offered through unions or employers, though his campaign website says Medicare for All “should make those choices redundant and unnecessary.”

He has also sketched how the system would be run. At a July roundtable with Michigan voters hosted by More Perfect Union, El-Sayed said its governance should sit “under, but separate from, the executive branch,” similar to the Federal Reserve, so the program couldn’t “change on a dime” with each new president. He added that Medicare would negotiate prescription drug prices as the buyer for the entire country.

How he would pay for it

El-Sayed and Johnson argue that individual Americans already fund the U.S. healthcare system through taxes, premiums, deductibles, and copayments. Under Medicare for All, they contend, money would flow through the public sector rather than private insurers.

Their financing plan has two parts. The first would “combine existing federal spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance subsidies into a single stream to be used for Medicare for All.” The authors also float administering the program at the state level, which would free up state money now spent on Medicaid and private insurance.

The second is progressive taxation: a “wealth tax on the richest Americans,” a new corporate tax code, and higher taxes on investment income. The authors also count on savings from lower administrative costs and lower prices for drugs and services, which they attribute to a single payer’s negotiating power.

The middle-class question is unresolved. El-Sayed has said he would “hope” to avoid raising taxes on most Michigan families, including those earning around $100,000 a year, according to Bridge Michigan. Experts told the outlet that middle-class tax increases would likely be necessary, though some households could come out ahead overall.

Why it still faces long odds in Congress

El-Sayed has been blunt about the obstacle. “The biggest challenge is not making the math work. The biggest challenge is not architecting the system. The biggest challenge is creating the political will to get there,” he told the More Perfect Union panel, which included several voters who had backed President Trump.

Public opinion is moving in his direction. In an Axios-Ipsos poll released in October, 43% of Americans supported Medicare for All and 24% opposed it, with 32% unsure.

The policy still has vocal critics, from pharmaceutical companies to the American Hospital Association. They argue that dismantling private insurance would eliminate jobs in healthcare administration and that middle-class families would bear the brunt of higher taxes. They also point to the price tag. A 2018 analysis by Charles Blahous, a former public trustee for Medicare and Social Security, estimated that Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All proposal would add $32.6 trillion in federal spending over 10 years. Blahous has described that figure as a lower bound that assumes the bill’s cost controls deliver their full savings.

The votes are another hurdle. Democrats will control both chambers in January, but Republicans and many moderate Democrats oppose single-payer. Retiring Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell called it an “untested government takeover” in 2019. Any bill would likely need 60 votes to clear a Senate filibuster, plus President Trump’s signature.

Still, El-Sayed won’t be alone. In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson unseated Republican Sen. Susan Collins after campaigning on Medicare for All and told the American Prospect he would be a “dog with a bone” on the issue. The next test is whether the new progressive senators rally behind a single bill, and whether El-Sayed’s room for private plans becomes a compromise or a fault line.

“Winning a single U.S. Senate seat was never the goal,” El-Sayed told supporters early Wednesday. “The goal is to use that seat to transform our politics.”

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Is Flipping Houses Still Worth It? A 20-Year Flipper Shares What’s Working


Is flipping houses still worth it when the market slows down? The easy appreciation days may be over, but investors who underwrite their deals with discipline are still finding ways to win. And today, we’ll explore how you can too!

Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! We’re coming to you live from BPCon in Orlando with James Dainard, who has spent 20 years flipping houses and renovating properties in Seattle. James shares how today’s flat market compares to flipping in the years after 2008’s financial crisis, plus the simple shifts that help him protect his profits. By the end, you’ll know how to spot safer deals and plan for surprises so one tough project doesn’t set you back.

James explains why he’s asking for more margin, not less, and the underwriting rules that cushion against longer hold times and price cuts. You’ll learn why homes with multiple exits are the smartest buys for rookie investors right now, and what to look for in a property before adding a detached ADU. Tony also puts his two-year flip on the table, and James walks through whether to sell it, keep it as a rental, or rework the deal with his private money lenders.

Every market shift creates new opportunities for investors who stay disciplined. Tune in, take notes, and get ready to tackle your next flip with confidence!

Ashley:
Welcome to Real Estate Rookie. My name is Ashley Kehr.

Tony:
And I’m Tony J. Robinson.

Ashley:
And today we are live at the BiggerPockets Conference in Orlando, Florida. So we walk the hallways and we found a special guest today to kind of help Tony with the struggle he’s going through with one of his properties and then to share insights on some of the challenges he is seeing in his market and with his properties. So give a big welcome to James Dainard.

James:
Always fun hanging out with you guys. My favorite people to hang out with.

Tony:
We’ve interviewed you a few times already, James, but for folks who don’t know, just give us the quick 60 second who is James Daynard What do you do? What does your real estate portfolio look like?

James:
So I’m an active investor out of Seattle. We’re very, very value add, heavy construction guys. So we do a lot of flips, new constructions, apartment renovations, and we do hard money financing locally in Washington State. So our whole business, for the last 20 years, all I know is working with investors and buying rundown houses and fixing them.

Tony:
I want to talk about my deal and get your insight on it. But just generally, do you feel like is this the hardest time ever to be a flipper?

James:
No, no, no, no. No, it’s not a good time, but I mean 2008 was a nine was rough. We’re really just going back into how it was flipping homes 2012 to 15 where the market’s just really flat and the profit’s going to be made on how disciplined you are on your underwriting and controlling costs. So appreciation days are over.

Tony:
So talk about that piece a little bit though.You say disciplined on the acquisition side and the costs. What are you maybe doing differently today than, I don’t know, in 22 when things are just going crazy?

James:
There’s way more risk in the market. And so anytime you’re buying any kind of short-term investment, when we’re looking at a deal, we want to make a certain return on that deal or how much profit can we make? And so for the last four years with COVID, we were trying to make a 35% return, which is if we put a hundred grand into a house, we’re trying to make 35 grand. So when the market gets flatter or there’s less transactions going on and it’s slower, it’s declining, we want to widen that margin. So today now I need to make 45% on the deal.

Tony:
Interesting. So you’re asking for more on the deal, not accepting less.

James:
Oh, we won’t accept less because that’s how you get through any kind of… The extra margin helps protect you from longer hold times or price cuts or buyer closing costs. And so when you’re in a riskier market, you just want to get a better deal.

Ashley:
Interesting. So you’re being more selective on the deals that you take because it’s harder to find deals with that margin then?

James:
Well, the market gets bad on selling side, the buying side gets better. And so just we’re listing flips right now and people offer us 10% off list and at 1.5 million, that’s 150 grand and they do it without batting an eye. And honestly, I’m always like, yeah, good for you. Good for asking. It’s a no, but good for you asking. And so you got to ask the same question. And I will say that for the first time in a long time, sellers have changed their tune where they want to sell rather than, will you overpay me? And that’s a very different type of transaction. And so I will say that getting those margins right now has not been hard. It’s getting rid of the inventory you have that is the tough part right now.

Tony:
We interviewed Henry Washington and Dominique Gunderson, both investors that you know, to talk about like, “Hey, how’s the market shifting?” And both of those investors said that they’ve, because of that need to find better deals, they’ve slowed down pretty tremendously the number of transactions they’re doing on an annual basis. Are you seeing the same thing? Have you slowed down a number of transactions or is the machine still pumping the same way it was before?

James:
We always are grinding deals up, but there’s also this strategy behind that because when you’re in a market that’s appreciating having more homes, you get the benefit of that. Everything’s lifting. And so if you have 10 homes going or 20 homes going and all of a sudden you get a 5% bump, that really makes a difference. But at the same time, you become inefficient. The more projects you have, just like anything, whether it’s you have too many short-term rentals or too many rental properties and you can’t keep up with it, what happens? Your costs go up, your profit goes down. And so this is the kind of market where you want to focus on what you’re really good at and don’t break away from that and just if you do less, you’ll actually make more by just being efficient. You’re not going to have the cost overruns.

Ashley:
Now your market is Seattle that you primarily flip in, but are you seeing this across the country that this is happening in most markets where it’s becoming flat?

James:
Yeah, Seattle’s doing more than flat right now. I think we might be ranked, I think we just got the award for worst market in the nation that I saw, which I’m going to wear it proud because it’s been a wild ride. But from talking to other flippers and investors in the data I’m reading, it’s not every market. I mean some things are still transacting. The Northeast is still transacting up there. Where we’re seeing it is the more expensive markets. I’m in Scottsdale, Arizona too. And I will say the stuff in the middle that’s priced in that one and a half, two and a half, three and a half, it is not moving. But then the affordable stuff is and the expensive is. And so it depends on what pocket you’re in and the price point. Newport Beach, I got a really expensive flip going there.
I have two buyers on it already. And so I would say honestly the safest right now is the Uber luxury because people have capital and they’re not so interest rate dependent.

Tony:
What about for the rookie investor who can’t fathom doing a super luxury flip? What should they be focusing on? And obviously speak to the markets that you know, the Northwest, the Arizonas, the Southern Californias. If someone wanted to get started in that kind of market, should they just be then targeting the really, really affordable starter home? What would your advice be to that person?

James:
Well, you want homes with multiple exits. That’s the biggest thing because where flippers are getting jammed right now is if you are selling in that million dollar price range, you can’t keep that house as a rental because you’re going to be losing two, three grand a month on the coverage. The rent to purchase, it’s such a huge delta. But when you’re flipping homes that are below 400 on the resale, it makes it to where you can refinance them and take a small monthly loss and still protect your equity because markets are going to go up, they’re going to go down, they’re going to go back up. And so if you don’t have to sell the property, it’s not as detrimental. And so I’ve been encouraging everyone, including me, which that’s the nice thing about the market getting shaken up, we can buy cheaper stuff now, whereas I couldn’t compete with some of these younger flippers.
They were just paying a lot more than I would pay. And so try to find stuff where you can refinance with a DSER loan and you can cover most of your costs. That’s your lowest flip because it gives you the best upside too. If you can make maybe a 30% return on a house, but the negative is you have a burr property and break even, that’s kind of a win both ways. And so try to focus on the slower markets and then put your brokers to work. The thing that we track is absorption rates and zip codes.

Tony:
What do you mean by that? Define absorption rates.

James:
So where are the buyer pool at? So just because a market’s bad doesn’t mean transactions aren’t going down. They’re just not going down in certain price points. And so if I look at a zip code, I might see like in Bellevue, Washington right now, one of the best cities you can live in is getting hammered the most right now. If you’re selling, it’s right by all the tech companies, a lot of dual income, we’ve had a lot of layoffs. If you’re selling at 1.5 to 1.8, it is no man’s land. There is maybe one deal for every 10 homes, there’s only one going pending, so it’s a very low buyer pool. But if you look at one one to one three, it’s a much different story. Seven out of 10 are pending. And so you want to shift down to where is the action? Where’s the most amount of pendings in that price point?
Because that’s where the velocity is. We still have a shortage of homes in the US, so they’re still buyers, they just can’t afford certain things. And so go for where the pendings are in the affordability.

Tony:
But those things shift with time, right James? It’s like for what you said, 1.1 to 1.3. So it’s like, okay, today I’m going to go out and buy something that I think will resell for 1.1. What happens if the market kind of continues to shift as I’m holding that property? Are you seeing that happen where you have this idea of, hey, here’s what the box looks like right now. By the time we finish, it’s shifted on us again. Are you seeing that happen?

James:
Well, yeah. And that’s why underwriting is so important. When you’re looking at an investment, especially for a flip, it’s a high risk investment. There’s a high upside there. You can only underwrite it to the best of your ability today. And so you want to be very conservative. So we don’t go to the high end of the comps. We use only the cluster comps. So if there’s one that’s selling at 1.3, but everything else is around 1.2, we’re going to go to the low. The other thing that we really want to do in that kind of risky market is again, widen the margins and you got to add in these contingencies. So instead of a 35% return, I’m going for 45%. If I think it’s going to take me six months, I put in eight months on my hold. And then if I think it’s going to cost me a hundred grand to fix it, we add a 10% contingency.
So it’s 110. So you can pad your pro forma to even if your numbers are off, you’re a better margin, you’re in the area that’s selling, and you have the room to where every day I’m looking at, if my worst case scenario is breaking even, I’m in. And I’d rather buy that than some deal with some massive upside because that’s where the risk is.

Ashley:
Now you said that there’s a lot of opportunity to buy properties. Are you buying any properties as buy-in holds and turning them into rentals or anything like that?

James:
Oh yeah. We just bought an 88 unit building in Seattle. I’m actually keeping two of my flips, the ones I could keep, because they have great upside. And the reason they have good upside is they have good backyards where I can put dadus in them later. And so I’m not –

Ashley:
Can you explain what a dadu is?

James:
Yeah. Dadu is a detached accessory dwelling unit. So the property has some development upside where right now land’s not worth a whole lot because people don’t want to build, but those backyard lots or land was worth a lot the last couple years. And so when I’m looking at keeping a rental, whether it’s like, do I cut bait and sell it as a flip or do I keep it, it’s not a million dollar house. The loan amounts are probably like 550 on them. I’m not going to cover with my rent, but I’m going to be close, but I can develop the backyard later when the market gets better. And so there’s some upside where you can get a bump. And so because the market is so slow right now, that’s what I am targeting is single family houses with larger lots because your competition from builders in Seattle, it has gone away.
And so because no one’s bidding on them, it gives you the best opportunity to pick those up. And so those are great things to buy right now.

Ashley:
Now Tony, do you want to go over your problem right now with your flip? And if you’re a rookie listener, you probably have heard us talk about this several times and hopefully James has some good guidance here for Tony.

Tony:
Before we jump in, I just want to ask one more follow up on the dadu. Ash and I were actually talking about this on a previous podcast. If you do the detached ADU, are you separating that into two different parcels when you’re done or are you refinancing it as just one parcel with both properties on it still?

James:
When you structure the debt, what we do is we condoize them off because then you can actually get single family loans on them rather than… Well, that doesn’t really help right now because DSER’s loans are the best for rates, but typically we’re going to condo them off and I like to do that because then let’s say the market does start rebounding, I can sell one piece of that property and take my bases down. And so you don’t have to do it that way, but we kind of do it because it’s simple to do. If I had to go through a formal subdivision and it was going to take six months to cover, I probably wouldn’t do it. I’d keep it as one lot, but we can do a condo overlay in Washington and it takes 30 days. Interesting. And so we’re able to condo those off and sell them separate.

Tony:
But does that impact, and this is a question that we have, does that impact the value of the original primary home if you’re condoizing both one and two?

James:
You want to buy the right lots, and this is where a lot of people, flippers are in deep trouble on because just because you have it doesn’t mean you should build it. And so the ones that we target for those is I’m looking for ones on corners and ones with street to street access, meaning there’s alley or street in the back because we can fence that whole property in and they feel like two separate units on smaller lots. And you do want to make sure that you account for how much backyard space, how much parking you have on your front, because all those things will affect the value. And so where people got in trouble is they maybe took 5% off their value and it’s really like a 15% hit. If someone doesn’t have a big yard and can’t park, it’s going to be a big deal.
And so you just want to be picky about the ones you do. The two that I’m looking at as rentals, one’s got street to street and then one has a driveway that goes all the way up. So they’re completely separate. They have their own yards. I’m like, “Okay, this is a good thing to hold.” And I don’t have to take a loss because I mean if I sold those two houses today, I’d probably lose a hundred grand, 50 grand house.

Ashley:
Now with that, since you’re not parceling it off and you’re turning them into condos, do you have to have an HOA in place?

James:
They do. It’s a very simple HOA. So the attorneys will set up a very simple HOA. It’s more for paperwork. And that could go away in Washington in general because they took away single family zoning. So now you can just build and subdivide. But depending on how long that will take, which we’re finding out, we might still condo them off, but very simple HOA.

Ashley:
Okay. So now Tony has this flip that he’s doing that hopefully you can give some advice for. And if you’re a rookie listener and listen to all of our episodes, you’ve probably heard us talk about this flip that’s been sitting for how long now?

Tony:
Almost two years since we closed on it originally. It’s a clinger.

James:
Yeah. You can’t get rid of it.

Tony:
Can’t get away. Can’t get away from it.

James:
It won’t go away.

Tony:
So if anyone wants to buy a really nice cabin in Southern California, I got one.

James:
Yeah.

Ashley:
Why don’t you just do a quick recap of the property?

Tony:
Yeah. So we bought this place, again, it was two years ago, finished the renovation pretty quickly. It was like 90 days we were in and we were out. And when I initially underwrote it, the mark was already starting to shift, but there were comps in the area for 470, 460, somewhere in that ballpark. I think I underwrote like 430. So we gave ourselves a little bit of cushion going into it. We listed it, no offers. And I think we didn’t even start getting offers until I dropped it to below 400. During the renovation, rates just shot up a lot as well, so I think that hurt us. We’ve been under contract twice, so we literally just fill out a contract last week. The first time there was an issue with the roof. We repaired the roof, didn’t do a full, we didn’t pull the whole roof off.
After that first inspection failed, we went back and replaced the whole roof. On the second inspection, they flagged some other issues with the decking. They’re like, “Hey, some of these posts need, they look like they’re rotted, things like that. We replaced the upper portion of the deck and all the support posts underneath.” So I’m asking myself this question of, “Hey, what’s the right exit strategy here?” We’re listed right now at 340, I think is what we’re listed at right now. At that number, we’re already losing, I don’t know, a hundred grand probably or maybe 70 grand, somewhere in that ballpark. It is. So the lower I go, the more it’s going to hurt. I can’t keep it as a short-term rental because there’s some ordinance issues where there’s another short-term rental that’s too close and they don’t give permits to neighboring properties, so I can’t short-term rent it.
Long-term rents just aren’t enough, I think, in that market to make sense in that specific property.

James:
What will it rent for long-term?

Tony:
Gosh, I don’t know. 1500? Somewhere in that. Two grand maybe if I’m pushing it. But in order for us to refinance, we’re probably looking at close to three grand on the mortgage probably.

Ashley:
And if you refinance, do you think it would appraise enough to pay back your private money lenders?

Tony:
No, no, no. So we still have to come out of pocket even if we refinanced. So it’s like either way, I’m writing a big check. It’s either writing a big check and I’m keeping it as a rental to keep losing money every month or writing maybe a lightly bigger check just to be done with

James:
It.

Tony:
So the things that I’ve thought about recently are maybe trying to refinance into more construction debt and making the house bigger. Right now it’s a two-two. So it’s like, man, maybe if I turn it into a three-two, would that help me maybe move the inventory faster? I thought about listing it for a dollar. Ash and I were talking about this when we interviewed someone else. She’s like, list it for a dollar, see if there’s any… Maybe I can get a news story that goes off about it and we get the right person.

Ashley:
And there’s a guy in Buffalo that did it, listed it for a dollar and he got a ton of offers on it.

Tony:
So yeah, I’m just at a crossroads, man. So what would you do if you were in my situation?

James:
Okay. So right now, what do you owe on the property?

Tony:
That’s a good question. Let me pull that up. I have it here.

James:
Because that’s what the hard part is, is do you take the loss or not? And I can tell you, I got a two-year cleaner too that I just signed it off wrong, and it’s going to hurt on the way out the door. But also there’s no way I can make this encapsul as a rental. I owed 1.1 million on it, so it’s just not going to work. But luckily you bought a cheap house.

Tony:
It was a very cheap house. That’s why we bought it because I don’t have service in here. Unfortunately, the wifi at this place sucks, so I can’t say the exact number, but I have three private money lenders on it. And my first position guy, he’s going to be fine no matter what we sell at. My second position guy is borderline. If I sell any less than what I’m at, then we start eating into what he’s got. My guy in first position, he’s going to come up short for sure. I’ve already talked to him and he’s investing from a retirement account, so he’s fine if we just roll that debt into a different note, repay him over time. I think my second guy might be willing to do that too because he’s also investing with the retirement account. But I want to say between all those guys, it’s close to 400K so we have to pay them to get everyone paid off.

James:
Okay. And you’re listed right now 330?

Tony:
340.

James:
340. Yeah. So it’s a clip of 100 off the debt, not including the debt service. I mean, what I definitely would do is at least talk to a DSCR lender and go, “Okay, what’s the max loan balance I can get out of this?” Because I do look at return. If I got to write a check for a hundred grand and I can lose a thousand bucks a month even for 12 months, it’s like, well, that takes eight years for me to… I mean, that’s eight years of loss to recoup some of that money back or you can run the break even. And let’s say you get half the money back, 50. Well, that’s four years. What I would do is go back historically and go, “Okay, what is going on with this fluctuation?” The reason that’s sitting is because rates are so high, secondary loans are just not what people want.
But that will change. And for me, if I was looking at that big of a clip on that size of house, I would probably keep it, get the max balance, and then restructure the debt with, “Hey, good news is, lender, you’re not losing your money, but we need you to ride this loan out longer and just carry it over and rent it.” I mean, because that’s a big clip on that small of a house.

Tony:
100%.

James:
And that’s the hard part about the secondary markets. I don’t want to… Right now I’m not flipping anything in secondary markets because the buyer pool is so low.

Tony:
So small. So small.

James:
And it’s temporary. But I would get the max DSCR one and go, “Okay, what can I get this rented for?” Get that loan on it, restructure the second and the third, because I bet you that property’s worth more in two years because you’re on the low, low side right now. I feel like secondary homes are at the lowest, especially in that price point. We could see more slide on that expensive mountain stuff, but I don’t think it gets worse from here on that one because you’re not that expensive. Is there anything else you can do with the land? Is it big?

Tony:
Not big enough to add any additional units or anything like that. The house already sits as the very far back of the property line and basically just driveways, so there’s not a whole lot of excess land right now.

James:
Do you get any inquiries?That’s what I always want to know is how many showings am I getting and then is there any pendings in the area?

Ashley:
Well, you’ve had a couple offers,

Tony:
Right?

Ashley:
Yeah.

Tony:
We’ve been under contract twice, like I said, and the first time it was a roof and then this last one it was the deck and some other minor things. And it’s been weird because both times I’m like, “Hey, we’ll fix the thing.”

James:
They just changed their mind.

Tony:
They just changed their mind. And we literally still fixed the roof for the last guys and shopped it back to them and they’re like,

James:
No,

Tony:
We’re fine.

James:
That just happened on me and Dave’s slip.

Ashley:
Oh,

James:
Really? I thought it looked real good for a second. Put this house up for sale, full price, got it mutual first weekend, terrible market. I’m stoked. Buyers call us and they’re like, “Hey.” A lot of things came up. I’m like, “What are you talking about? We did permits? We did a pre-inspection. We did a re-inspection. What came up?” And it was an inspector called like, well, the foundation. No, no no, that’s already been addressed. We’ve had a foundation company come out. And I just texted the guy back because they ended up walking, but they loved the house and it was over $4,000 worth work.

Tony:
Right. It’s like, “I’ll just fix it for you.”

James:
And it’s not even required work. The foundation company’s like, “This is not required, but this is preventative.” And at the end of the day, they just changed their mind.

Ashley:
Wow.

James:
What a bummer.

Ashley:
I had that happen on a duplex. We actually got through… They were doing a conventional loan, non-primary, and during their appraisal, the bank actually did an inspection also and wanted these minor things fixed. So we did them. They were just inconveniences, but the bank would not lend unless we did this, which was so weird that it was treated like an inspection. Myself, my attorney, the buyer, none of us had heard of this happening before. So we did all of the repairs. It delayed closing to get these things done. On closing day, the lender forgot to add school taxes into the property taxes for escrow. So the escrow amount was wrong. So the lender needed a couple more days to actually figure out what exactly their closing disclosure would be. A couple days later, we’re set to close again. Buyer gets cold feet. No one can contact him.
His agent can’t reach him, nothing. About a week and a half later, he’s like, “Oh, I need to think about it.” His payment went up by a hundred bucks a month. I offered to give him a seller’s credit of $2,400 to cover two years, and I’d send notices to each of the tenants that I was going to increase their rent by $50 each at their renewal. And still they just ended up walking.

Tony:
It’s like buyers right now are just so nervous about the future and is this the right move? I’ve sold a lot of properties and things always pop up in the inspection report, but then we’re just like, fix it. Everyone’s happy, but these last two, it’s like they’re just throwing their hands up and running away.

Ashley:
Are we too naive?

Tony:
Something’s going on.

James:
No, you have to be… I literally, I got a clinger too that we’re selling. It’s going to be a nasty one. We’re losing 200 grand. And everything went wrong, but the good thing is now it’s sold. We’re one of the only houses sold in the neighborhood. But my whole team’s going there with all the reports again to walk the property to make sure everything’s done because you cannot lose that buyer and you got to white glove service everything. It’s like…

Tony:
Talk me through that. So what does that look like? So your team’s going there, what exactly is their list of actions while they’re at the property?

James:
So they bring the pre-inspection and the re-inspection and they go through picture by picture, is this done and is it done of standard? And so they go snap photos for me and go, this is complete, this is complete, this is complete. And then at the same time, we’re going through again, and we have three different eyes going. I have my PM and I have my broker and I have our assistant and they’re all going to do their own punch list separately.

Ashley:
So this is after you’ve gotten the offer, but before the buyers have done their own inspection that you’re doing

James:
This? Yes. Okay. And we’ve already done this on the house, but this is like, okay, so what we’ve just imposed now is this happens again and we’re doing it before we’re going mutual, hopefully in the next 30 minutes, but I don’t want to lose that buyer because that’s just detrimental right now.

Ashley:
I’ve never heard it called going mutual. Do you guys count that too? No. Like you go under contract. Is that what you’re saying? You go mutual?

James:
But mutual, it’s more of a… See, that’s why you’re going to buy this

Ashley:
Kick.

James:
It sounds like – I’m building friends and making it mutually beneficial.

Ashley:
We’re going steady.

James:
Yes. That’s what it is. You’re dating them to the close. Tony, one idea, it kicked in my brain as we’re talking. Why can’t your second and third lender, have you ever though about looking at it this way to make the cash flow better on this property or less of a negative? You’re doing the right thing. You’re paying your lender back no matter what. A lot of people can’t say that, which is I think the right thing to do. But why can’t you go to them and go, “Hey, look, we’re in a tough situation. We’re going to restructure this.” What’s their current rate on this?

Tony:
10%. 10%. Simple too. So it’s just like, “Hey, they gave me a hundred grand, they get 10 grand back for the year.”

James:
Okay. So 10 flat for 12 months. Yep. Why can’t they… What I would do is also present it to them like, “Hey, we’re doing this together. We’re working on this.” I mean, it is a risky position when you take a second and third, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay them back. But you could also bring up to them, “How about we give you 5% and we give you 20% of the upside in the deal when the market rebounds in 20, 30 years?” 20,

Ashley:
30 years.

James:
20, 30 years. It’ll be a long one.

Ashley:
No.

James:
In two to three years, and then they get that gain, puts in their 401k so it’s tax-free, but they have to believe in the market, but the market’s not going to go free, fall forever. And so it’s another way to reduce your monthly and annual cost. They still get a pref return.

Ashley:
And it’s in their retirement account, so you probably have a better chance of that happening. It’s not like it’s their life savings they gave you.

Tony:
I haven’t though about that. That’s a good option.

James:
It just might be a better way to get the bleed down throughout the year. And then you’re also creating a solution for a lender. They’re going, “Hey, I’m fixing the problem, but you could participate. This will help everyone do better.” You could even give them 50% of the equity.

Tony:
I’ll give them all of it. Whatever’s there,

James:
You guys-You don’t want to do that if you’re covering the negative, right? I mean, yes, if they want the property, they can take it. And as a lender, I’d be like, “No, I want you in the deal because we all got to win.” But you could give them 25% each and then reduce that 10 grand a year down.

Tony:
I never thought about doing that, reducing it, but giving them more on the back end. I got some options here, James. I appreciate the context. I just want to be done with this one, man. I want to be done with it. But I like the pre-inspection too, because I think that’s been part of what’s bit us in the butt, is that we just haven’t gotten our own eyes out there enough either, I think. We probably need to go back out there and do an inspection ourselves and say, “Hey, what’s actually missing here?”

James:
Everyone should be pre-inspecting their properties. I know some investors, they go, “Well, I don’t want to know.” Because they don’t. They don’t want to have to list it down, but this ain’t the market for that. It’s, “I want to know and I’m going to fix the issue. And if it costs you more money, it costs you more money, but it’s going to cost you way more if your buyer kicks. That one monthly payment will cost for that repair sometimes two times over.

Ashley:
Well, James, thank you so much for joining us today at BP Con. I’m sure you’ve been very busy through the hallways. You always see James chatting it up with other attendees. It’s hard to even get to talk to you.

James:
No, it’s tough for you. Everyone who’s flipping is a little tough. I can’t even afford sleeves right now. I’m eating the free snacks. I got no sleeves.

Ashley:
That’s how we got them into this room, is the free water and –

Tony:
Free water and snacks.

James:
I was panhandling outside the building. Help a flipper out here. But no, anytime there’s market transitions, it’s tough and you got to work through it. But this isn’t the first time. When Ray shot up, it was the same thing. And what we do know is it will end, and you just got to try to do the right financial thing on the way out.

Ashley:
Now, where can people reach out to you and find you?

James:
On the market podcast, BiggerPockets. No.

Ashley:
Second best podcast.

James:
Yeah. Or if you want to see all my fail stories going on right now, then go to JDMFlips on Instagram and I will give you all the tips of what I’m trying to do to not lose money in this market.

Tony:
You’re also on TV. If people want to watch you on the cable networks, where should they be going?

James:
A&E, million dollar zombie flips. We took down a lot of zombies and million dollar ones that are hurting right now though.

Ashley:
Well, thank you guys so much watching to this episode of Real Estate Rookie. If you weren’t at BP Con this year, make sure you attend next year. We are going to Denver, Colorado. Well, thank you guys so much for listening. I’m Ashley. He’s Tony, and we’ll see you on the next episode.

 

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Nike Members Get 20% Off In-Store Purchases, November 5–15



Nike Members Get 20% Off In-Store Purchases, November 5–15

Nike is offering 20% off your entire in-store purchase for Nike Members from November 5 through November 15, 2026.

The discount is valid at Nike and Nike Factory stores. Just show your Nike Member Pass at checkout to get the discount.

You can join Nike for free here.

HT: Slickdeals

The post Nike Members Get 20% Off In-Store Purchases, November 5–15 appeared first on Danny the Deal Guru.

How to Build Executive Presence and Communicate With Confidence


Catch the full episode

Overview

On this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast I talk with Gina London. She’s an Emmy-winning former CNN correspondent, CEO of Language of Leadership, and author of Amplify You: How to Connect More Powerfully in an AI World. AI can draft your pitch and polish your deck, but you still have to walk into the room, hold eye contact and earn the trust of the person deciding whether to hire you. That moment now carries more of the weight in who wins the business.

Gina walks through her Say It, Look It, Be It approach to executive presence. It starts with how you talk to yourself and moves out to your voice, your pacing, your facial expression and your body language. We get into why an audience believes whichever signal doesn’t match, how to prepare for a one-on-one discovery call by thinking about the person before the message, and what to do with the nerves that show up when you don’t know where to put your hands.

We also talk about the risk of handing all your writing to AI, especially for younger professionals who haven’t built that muscle yet. And she explains why any AI-drafted script should be read out loud before it goes anywhere near an audience. This one is for small business owners, consultants and leaders who pitch, present and sell, and who want to come across as well in person as they do on paper.

About the guest

Gina London is an Emmy-winning former CNN correspondent and the CEO of Language of Leadership, where she advises executives and boards on executive presence and influence. Her clients include Salesforce, SAP, Merck and PwC. London grew up in a small town in Indiana and has lived in Ireland for ten years. She writes a weekly leadership column from her home base in Dublin. Her new book is Amplify You: How to Connect More Powerfully in an AI World.

Key takeaways

  • The more AI handles the written prep, the more the in-person moment decides who wins the business.
  • Writing works like a muscle. Using AI for a casual email is fine, but keep doing your own substantial writing so the skill doesn’t fade.
  • Firms that use AI in place of junior staff will have a succession problem. Someone still has to learn how to collaborate, lead and handle a difficult feedback conversation.
  • Say It starts with self-talk, because the person you speak to most is the voice inside your own head.
  • Your voice is an instrument. You can choose your pacing, your emphasis and whether you sound authoritative or warm.
  • When your words and your face don’t match, people trust the mismatch. Practice an engaged expression the same way you practice your content.
  • Before a sales call or presentation, use London’s three-part prep: audience, intent and message. Think about the person’s hopes and fears, settle on one narrow goal, and only then write what you’ll say.
  • When there are several decision makers in the room, name each one and the issue they care about. Get known objections on the table early.
  • A lot of nerves come from not knowing what to do with your face, hands and posture. Rehearsing those details leaves more of your attention for reading the room.
  • Record yourself on your phone for thirty seconds a day, and read every AI-drafted script out loud before you deliver it.

Great moments

  • [00:27] John introduces Gina London and her new book, Amplify You
  • [01:16] Growing up in small-town Indiana and learning to take control of your voice
  • [02:17] The moment London realized senior executives needed communication coaching
  • [03:43] Why we’re at an inflection point in how much we let AI speak for us
  • [05:25] Treating writing like a muscle that weakens when you stop using it
  • [06:15] The attorney’s question: if AI replaces junior staff, who becomes partner?
  • [07:25] The Say It, Look It, Be It approach
  • [08:54] A board presenter whose face didn’t match her message
  • [11:18] Applying the approach to a one-on-one discovery call
  • [12:47] The dinner server who only talked to John, and how to avoid losing part of the room
  • [14:40] Where public speaking nerves come from and how to use them
  • [16:39] Breaking years of ingrained communication habits
  • [17:24] The CEO who refused to do “happy clappy” until he saw himself on video
  • [19:05] Thirty seconds a day on camera
  • [19:27] When an AI-written script backfires
  • [20:56] Where to find Gina London and Amplify You

Memorable quotes

“The first person you need to be able to speak more intentionally to is yourself, because that’s the one that you’re talking to the most inside your head.”

Gina London

“We’re great at reading. We’re not so good at delivering.”

London

“Before you’re thinking about what you want to say, think about to whom you are speaking.”

London

“I still feel a bit of nerves and anxiety because that means I care and I want it to connect.”

London

“It’s a developable skill like anything else.”

London

Resources