Guru Cynthia Sosa with Keller Williams

Ian Arnold:
0:00

Hey, Rick, we had Cynthia Sosa on here today. And she is a guru. And she, she hasn't been in the business for a long time. But the knowledge she has picked up and the numbers that she's doing makes her a guru. Yeah, I find it's I just always find it very interesting when you get somebody who's moved here from another country. They, they don't don't have a lot of time living in Indiana. And yet they're able to take gm into real estate and be successful because it's not an easy business to be successful. And, and she was she's one of those people who know how to do that. And she's also sounds like very good at controlling her time. Correct. Which is awesome. And that's something huge for most real estate agents is time control. So if you are a newer agent wanting to

Rick Ripma:
0:49

get into the business, definitely listen to this. She is a phenomenal agent, you need to listen in great stores, fantastic stores.

Ian Arnold:
0:59

Welcome to indies, real estate gurus, your ultimate guide to the dynamic world of real estate in Indiana. And I'm recruited by your hard work and mortgage guy and I've been in real estate and mortgages for over 24 years. And I'm Ian Arnold, a loan officer on Rick's hardworking mortgage team and we are both with advisors Mortgage Group together will empower you with expert advice market trends is assessable stories

Rick Ripma:
1:23

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Ian Arnold:
1:32

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Rick Ripma:
1:39

Cynthia Sosa you're a real estate agent. I am. And you have a very interesting life that you've that you've lived. And we want to hear about that. We want to hear where you came from, you know where you where you grew up? How you how you ended up here in Indian, Indiana and Indianapolis. Tell us that story. Well,

Cynthia Sosa:
1:59

I'm from Mexico, in a little town called and Pico next to the coast. Woodside in us used to the beach the whole time. So that's one of the things I miss right now. And but since I was little kid, I was always looking to design my own clothes, you know. And I liked that. So when I were living there, part of my lie was in the fitness because the other thing I like and then so working on the TV in some fashion, things that we have there. Like we'll say that it's not Miss Universe, but something related to beauty in Mexico. So I designed some swimsuits for those ladies, and so comfortable on TV, I think so. And then I was like trying to combine with my fitness activity. Like, I think since I was like 15 years old. I don't want to say my age right now. But yeah, it's a long time ago. Then I have worked in very different times was Julie, I was managing Julie. And they moved from my city. And I then decided and like that city and a combat to my city again. And then I met my husband by not mistake by casualty. I think I went to the border in Mexico with Yusei for work, okay, and we met like seven years before nothing happened seven years after we click. So he was living in USA. So I move and then my life change like 80% I think so no more fashion stuff. Yes, keep going with my fitness activities. But I moved to us teaching us yoga. And I've been doing yoga for about 12 years, I think. Yeah, in Texas. So Texas No, well, yes. A lot of people speak Spanish. So you don't need to speak like every time like in English. But when I was teaching, I had to because I have some people who speak English some people speak Spanish or maybe crazy. So one day will say you know, guys, English for everybody. So everybody understand left, right up, down. So let's do this. And then I stopped practicing my English and then definitely, life happens again. And my husband got this job in Kokomo. And he's show me would you be able to or open to move to Kokomo and say show me on the map work was Coco Mona Well, oh my god is too far away from what I'm used to, you know, there will if we have to do let's do this. So we moved to chemo before me three months before that I did. And I came after because it needs to take care of the movie and stuff. But I was living in Texas. I was thinking in coming to real estate when this thing started happening. So I decided wasn't a good time. Because if you did that, take the test in Texas. Does and you move to another state you need to take another test and say no I'm not doing that. Because I have there in the past is a very difficult test so say no for me. So we move to COCOMO it because all my life I was thinking in this calmer movies, and I wanted to live always in this small town with you know, Christmas Eve Lila beautiful. So we moved to go como se no, I don't like Coco. Sorry, guys. Ronkonkoma. And then my husband showed me. This area's was filled Carmel. So we moved to Westville. Burg, I need to drive 45 minutes every time. But then COVID game at that time I was teaching you as you're hitting some studios. And so you know, we need to stay home. So say, Well, I think this is the time to start studying real estate. So I got my license in the 19 to 19 2019. Yes. Are beginning of the next year. So since that I've been doing real estate. So here I am. Yeah.

Rick Ripma:
6:01

And so yeah, it sounds like you've always been interested in real in real estate. It was always in the back of

Cynthia Sosa:
6:06

your mind. Yeah. Well, I mean, I like houses, like, you look at this shows on the TV and the fancy things they do in the new imagine that is the live realtor. And it's not, you know, but yeah, doing open houses and showing houses for clients. It's something I like. So today in the afternoon, I have five houses show to a client. So I really like that part a what is a little moving you from your comfort zone is when you're trying to negotiate a contract. So it's one part is asking one thing, other part is asking other things, but one that once you pass that everything that goes live super, you know, can say easy. And yeah, I like these because I like people. As you can see, I like to talk. And I like to drive. So it's fine. I like that. So

Ian Arnold:
6:56

let me ask this since you brought up a little bit. So what was the misconception that you had prior getting before you got into real estate was an exception?

Cynthia Sosa:
7:04

Well, first thing is a little miss missing information. Or maybe we don't ask those things, when we're starting to look into real estate, we don't know that all the fees we need to pay for we in this business. It's not an easy business, if you look at that site, because there's a lot of fees involved just to use the MLS and stayed in an hour and you know, things like that. So nobody said that when you say oh, I want to study this thing. So you know, just do this, and they gonna share your links and things like that, and you go, then when you get your license, boom, you need to pay like, yeah, a lot of money sometimes. And if you don't have savings for that, it's like a big rock for some people that would some people always lift this, this business because of that. The good thing for me is I have some finance there that I can use, you know, and yeah, there was a bit rocks. And the other is that the test is is difficult. Like, for example, different from Mexico, people in real estate, well, I don't know now what in the past, they don't have tests, they use go to Brock garage, and they they give you a little courage, you know, like do this, do that and boom, you go. And here you need to be licensed so so my mind from being coming from another country, and then we have to do these things here. And it's okay, it's different. So there's there was other thing I wasn't expecting. And then when you need to choose your brokerage and you have other fees in the brokerage and display, it's in blah, blah, blah. So there's a lot of things simple. And it's not that fancy war that 100% of the time that they show you in TV programs. It's not? Well, no, it's sometimes you cannot raise like high heels all the time. You know, sometimes you need to know the end user or something. Because depending on where you go in, depending on the house, the area, things like that. And it's a lot of work to Yeah,

Rick Ripma:
9:12

yeah, it's a lot more work than most people think. Yeah, it's like that.

Cynthia Sosa:
9:16

And oh, other thing that people maybe don't think about it is like you need to work on your weekends. So if you don't like to work weekends, it's not for you.

Rick Ripma:
9:25

So, so you How long had you been in Indiana before you became a real estate agent?

Cynthia Sosa:
9:32

I think it's gonna be a little more than five years now.

Rick Ripma:
9:36

So how it's a difficult business to get going in. It is and so I know right now you're with Keller. Keller. Williams, did you start with Keller? Williams?

Cynthia Sosa:
9:46

Yeah, well, actually, I started before I got my license. I have a conversation with very small brokerage. But when I got my license, my husband and I would have the talk and say like, well I was invited to go to Keller Williams. So I went and have that conversation say like, it's better start in, in a big franchise, like in small if you want to grow, mostly because as I was saying, before, I'm coming from Texas, I knew a few people here. So that's gonna be my big rock, to to get to know more people. So it's that what is taking me a little more time that maybe other people like agents that have been here the whole life, senior agents, so they know everybody, so it's difficult to compete with them. Not impossible, but it's difficult. Yeah.

Rick Ripma:
10:38

So that was actually the question I was trying to get to is, how did you get going? Because it's it's such a tough business you're not from here. You didn't know that many people. Right. So what was your process? What have you done? Really? What have you done that you think has been the most successful? Maybe something? Maybe you've done some things that weren't didn't work? Tell us those stories? Well, I

Cynthia Sosa:
10:58

have kept some mistakes, for sure. But when I arrived to Keller Williams, I think was the timing in someone has spot for me in a small team, the husband had died. And the lady didn't speak Spanish or speak Spanish is my first language. So she needed someone who can relate with the clients on the database, because Spanish she wrote for her. So the team leader told me that I think this is a good thing for you get into this stem. And I was thinking, okay, maybe it's good for me, because I don't know a lot of people I am learning because other thing I forgot to say when you're learning, you think you know, everything, but you come to reality is very different. So it's not the year, you need to keep learning things on the road. So I started with this lady, and I was the buyer agent, I was hired for that. And then eventually things happen that started not working for me, because I wanted to get into the seller, side. And suppose now too. And so after three years with her, or a little less, or something around that, I decided it was time to me for go solo. But if if you really want to know, to start learning more things, mostly you're in my case, like you don't know a lot of people, it's starting with a team is a good thing. And because, yeah, they provide let's not order, let's go work. And what these plates are big. So you have one thing for the order. And then after those three years having the conversation with a friend that is also a realtor, and my husband is I used to do this by yourself. Again, you're kind of ready, and I will. I don't know, you know? So this year, in the beginning of the year, I decided to make that move. Okay. So I think now I don't know everything, but I feel more comfortable.

Rick Ripma:
13:01

Where you have quite a bit of time you've done some you've been successful. So that makes, you know, going out on your own. It's it's kind of a path we see a lot of agents go Go on now is they they start on a team, they learn from the team, and then the team kind of expects them to move on.

Cynthia Sosa:
13:18

Yeah, I think so. I think a lot of people have have been in the on the team for time in the past. But then the same thing like you, you, you decide that you have learned enough. And you always have well, my brokers will have the support from other agents if you need to. And you decided to go solo for me was better because my husband works at home. So he is the main income coming from house. And so I don't say I do this for fun, or just for fun. I do also of course, because of the money was symbol, but I need to move around his time, you know, so I plan I can start very early in the morning doing paperwork, things are very late at night. And from some points in the middle of the day, I cannot because we have launched so I need to commit to that. Then my clients know that they can text me late night, because I'm being working. And I can answer say always have the conversation with them. If you're open to talk to me late night, this do it so I will answer if I don't because I will let you know next day or something like that. So they're used to that. Yeah.

Rick Ripma:
14:29

Well, it seems like that because you're your husband's working and you have to work around his schedule, but actually it works out well because most clients are not available for the same reason your husband's not available.

Cynthia Sosa:
14:41

Yeah, that's good thing is like in the old school and it is new days, you know we're leaving and after COVID everything change or most things change. And like, if you called people like in the morning they work in most of the day they cannot answer you. So not knocking doors for me is like, no, in these days, like you're knocking the door mostly in my neighborhood, they will call the police. Go No, thank you. So there's other ways to find clients, you know? And then yes, of course, I can move around other hours. Like right now, he is like, having literally sandwich for lunch, because I say, sorry, guy I had to. And he understand sometimes, like, he's very flexible, in as much as some happy and He's happy. He's everything's working, you know,

Rick Ripma:
15:32

to be honest with you. I think that's awesome that you guys have lunch together? Because you see a lot of married couples, you got one goes one way the other one goes the other way in the morning. And then they come back late at night. And about it's kind of like, it's awesome.

Cynthia Sosa:
15:47

Yeah, we tried to commit to that. Because I mean, he was a whole day and sometimes finish late and sometimes late night he's working is a good and bad thing working at home, because he can answer, you know, anytime. And he was with people in China and Europe, also they are there all time and you know, and then we commit like that. So it's it's impossible, like today or tomorrow, I have a final walkthrough. So say tomorrow, you always again, when I eat alone, and say, okay, it's fine. And is this, if I can change the hours? I can do that. I will do that. But if it's not negotiable, so I will stick to the schedule. Yeah.

Ian Arnold:
16:27

I think schedules help out dramatically and making sure you keep that schedule. So I don't want you to cold calling people. I don't want you knocking on random people door and getting arrested by cops. So if somebody's out there, and they they're listening to you right now, and they want to talk to you about real estate, whether it's buy sell, or they just have questions, what's the best way to get ahold of you? Well,

Cynthia Sosa:
16:48

they can always call me to my number 956795748. Or they can email me So Cynthia sosa@kw.com. Or just, if they can find my information they can call a Keller Williams and they will call me or send the information. That way. We can have coffee lunch or something. I

Ian Arnold:
17:10

don't know you have lunch with your husband?

Cynthia Sosa:
17:14

Sometimes is yeah, we have to do those things. Yeah. Well, yeah. Yeah.

Rick Ripma:
17:20

So your number is 956-789-5748.

Cynthia Sosa:
17:27

Correct. Good. And then let me clarify that some people sometimes they don't want to answer my calls, because they say, Well, this is not from this area. Yeah, that's good. I'm from Texas, originally, you know that. That's me. That's my number.

Ian Arnold:
17:40

I will say there's a lot of them. I look and it says out of state. And I go alright, I'm letting you go to voicemail. But the great news about voicemail is he leaves a voicemail, I can hit play. Oh, that's Cynthia, let me call it back really quick. Yeah,

Cynthia Sosa:
17:53

the what I do, sometimes I call they don't answer because they are maybe BC. And I use libertex and put my car on the tech. So they know I'm a real person. The sort of scams around. I

Rick Ripma:
18:08

think I know for me, I'll get calls now from local and yes, those either because telemarketers are able to get local number, so I don't trust those those numbers either.

Cynthia Sosa:
18:20

I was about to say that like so my caller ID is 956. So I have a lot of calls from 956 and telemarketing. Yeah, sometimes, like, I don't know is that I need to answer that. And we

Rick Ripma:
18:31

kind of have to I mean, that's that's my problem is I kind of have to answer the phone. I don't always but I call back right away, just like you said. But to get a hold of the inner I got a hard working mortgage guys.com That's hard working mortgage guys.com. Or you can give us a call at 317-672-1938. That's 317-672-1938. That is a call. That's not a text number.

Ian Arnold:
18:53

All right. I'm glad you've memorized our phone number. You did her as well. And you did ours. Well, congratulations. Well, I

Rick Ripma:
18:58

read hers. I think it helps people to have hear it a few times. So I make sure to free few times. All

Ian Arnold:
19:07

right. So Cynthia have a good question for you. So we're going to take a step away from the real estate side. But if I get take away your phone, you cannot work. Somebody else will help out. Don't worry, your customer will get taken care of but what do we catch you doing for fun?

Cynthia Sosa:
19:24

For fun? I used to be phone lady I think so, so my husband likes like being home most of the time. So what we enjoy is watching movies together. And we like to stay at home watching the movies because we have this big sofa we can lay down itself and put pause anytime and go in and come back. So that's what we do for fun and travel. We travel a lot. We like that as well. We put our money vacations.

Ian Arnold:
19:56

So what's what's one of your favorite movies?

Cynthia Sosa:
20:01

I like like mystery movies. Okay, yeah, mystery movies or like TV program like CSI, you know, like trying to figure out who was the killer? Yeah. So those I just watched by myself because my husband hates that.

Rick Ripma:
20:19

So, where do you travel? Where's your where's your favorite spots to travel?

Cynthia Sosa:
20:24

I'd say I would like to travel abroad like last year. We took long vacations, we need that. We went to Maldives. We plan and dad. And then my husband likes the f1 the Formula One races. So we have to stop Abu Dhabi say, oh, that's the Abu Dhabi Formula One, let's say here. So we stay for the Formula One and two, we drive around. And then we here to work in Italy. So I went with him. I didn't I wasn't working. I was just having a good life.

Ian Arnold:
21:00

Oh darn.

Cynthia Sosa:
21:03

Yeah. And then we came back.

Rick Ripma:
21:06

So what does it what does he do? It sounds like he has an interesting engineering

Cynthia Sosa:
21:09

manager. Yeah, electrics for cars. Okay.

Rick Ripma:
21:13

So he's a car guy. Yeah. He

Cynthia Sosa:
21:15

always calls meetings the whole day. Yeah. Okay.

Rick Ripma:
21:20

Well, that sounds like fun. So getting off that a little bit what what would you say your superpower superpowers are?

Cynthia Sosa:
21:27

I think like relating with people and talking. Once they started talking with me, I don't know guys what you say what they start loving. So they want to continue with me user. Yeah.

Rick Ripma:
21:40

That's that's important. Yeah. Yeah. I was helping you flew or something. I didn't know if there was some school. Oh,

Ian Arnold:
21:48

being able to talk to people is a great superpower, especially for a realtor. Yes.

Rick Ripma:
21:54

And it's really helpful when we have them on our pot. Yes. Yeah. Now you also you're a yoga instructor. So how often do you do that? Do you do that?

Cynthia Sosa:
22:05

Well, when I was in Texas was my full time job. I think I have like 15 classes per week. And I did private classes for some people. So I have good money. And in Texas for that. Then when I moved here, look at in Texas, not everybody with a lot of people knew me. Because I was doing that. I was part of the some yoga teacher trainings, helping them. So like, I like that too. You know, I like to be involved with people. Then when we move here, it was again, same thing like starting from scratch. Nobody knew me. So say I'm going to great teachers. Would you say that? I don't know. So I have less classes now in which is okay, because being a real estate, you need to be available in some hours. Like, for example, this way, I covered some classes for some teachers and the studio. So some people call me can you that I know I have to teach this class. Sorry, I cannot. So I have to have more time now available in the mornings also. And of course, in the afternoon. Afternoon is no, no, no. Your says no one else can go. I will go.

Ian Arnold:
23:16

No, no, you just need to invite them. Hey, come to yoga. We'll talk real estate at the same time.

Cynthia Sosa:
23:21

That's what I say your classes also Well, first thing because keep my mind sane. You know, like, I mean, I need that to clean my mind. And teaching helped me a lot because I know I'm helping people in another way. So they appreciate that. Would you make some adjustments on the body or sometimes some people cry sometimes when you're talking to them, like you start talking as teaching, and you touch some fibers and some people and they start crying?

Rick Ripma:
23:51

That's not gonna happen with us? No.

Ian Arnold:
23:53

Please make him cry. Please wake up. I will say that's one thing I think through COVID and everything. Everybody got a mental health check in their mind now. All right, what do we got to do to stay mentally healthy and stuff, especially with different people? Like for instance, your husband working from home all the time, it's a different than walk in the office able to talk to many different people? Yeah,

Cynthia Sosa:
24:17

well, he preferred that. I mean, he shared a drive in the 45 minutes ago como so Okay, nobody

Ian Arnold:
24:22

likes Kokomo. You're good.

Rick Ripma:
24:26

You ever visited Kokomo? Yes. Kokomo has some pretty cool, thanks. I think. Yeah, it's nice

Cynthia Sosa:
24:32

just to base it. Yeah, no, and I have some. I have some friends. They're like, sometimes I go, but when you start getting busy, or busier like 45 minutes you're driving to meet a friend is difficult. Yeah, that's hard. Yeah, no, you stay one hour with a friend and then come back again for five minutes.

Rick Ripma:
24:50

There's more to do here. There's no question and most people who live in Kokomo come here for entertainment.

Cynthia Sosa:
24:56

I have a good very good friends and COCOMO there are a couple and They come once in a while to visit or we have dinner, things like that. And when they will say, Well, maybe it's time for us to go to Kokomo so you don't need to drive. And they say, No, it's fine because you have more places to go. Yeah. Okay, fine with me. So I'm just

Ian Arnold:
25:15

gonna make a point. And we can be done with it. But they did make a highway around Kokomo so you don't have to go through it anymore. Yeah.

Unknown:
25:23

They did that to Indianapolis to it's called for six. Yep. And we don't go in there either. So what's your point? Oh,

Cynthia Sosa:
25:31

four, six, if I live 530 to 530. To fight areas horrible. Yeah, yes. Yeah,

Rick Ripma:
25:38

they're the that road around Kokomo is a huge blessing because you used to go through Kokomo and it was all white. Yep. Took for ever now. It's a beautiful thing. Yes. Yeah.

Cynthia Sosa:
25:49

It's nice.

Rick Ripma:
25:52

I like Kokomo but I'm obviously in the minority. Well,

Cynthia Sosa:
25:56

when I was there, we were live in an apartment. And we like that. So when we decided to move here with this, I went more space. And we have more space that we need now. So we will remember times the apartment was like less kind of nice. The only thing is like when you were parking the car stay outside and when it's snowing. So yes. Not a good thing. You know, we

Rick Ripma:
26:19

were talking to somebody and they had they were talking about how they had to scrape their car off that morning. And I was like, Yeah, you don't have to do that. If you have a garage or carport one of the

Cynthia Sosa:
26:29

so wasn't that was important. Oh,

Rick Ripma:
26:31

that's never that's never

Ian Arnold:
26:32

speaking of snow. Do you ever wish you move back further south because of it? Oh, yeah.

Cynthia Sosa:
26:38

When we were in Texas. Well, the when I arrived here the morning I listen. Yeah, the morning I left Texas. We were 105 like noon. So when I arrived here was 30 degrees. That was my first shock like, oh my god, I dropped I cry like crazy. gala is a god for me. So I wasn't prepared for that. Then I was waiting for the snow to come. You want to see the snow and you know, make angels in the snow. And the first day we're like, Oh, beautiful snow. So it's nice Thursday. Hey, I don't want it anymore. Well, we don't get much. No, the lesson we have more I think this year we've had hardly anything. I don't do what I want to have more.

Ian Arnold:
27:20

Now. We're I would say we're roughly done. But we've seen it in April. Not it doesn't happen very often

Rick Ripma:
27:26

not past the basketball. Yeah, you need to get back past basketball for the most part. That's that's kind of what Eric because I've been here my whole life and you can get an April. But it's like a lot of times we'll get something through the tournaments, timeframes with basketball. So just pre prepared,

Cynthia Sosa:
27:44

but not that kind of big accumulation.

Rick Ripma:
27:47

That's the other thing. I mean, we've had one snow that came in the middle of the day, that was four inches. And then within two days, it's gone. It was gone. So we've had nothing this year. It's been been very, very good. Now you're also a health coach. What is that? What how do you do? Well,

Cynthia Sosa:
28:03

when I was in Texas, like have kind of hours free. And I went and went into this internet school. And so are starting for that get my certification. So culinary nutrition expert, is there. Okay. Yeah. So they teach you better ways to it. So instead of adding days, it that so you can plan you know, so it's, it's not like it in like things that taste good, is things that are good for your health. So when I was there, I was teaching people to do that. And I have cooking classes at home. So that part I like it. And there wasn't a things I'm missing when I was there. I have a small island and my kitchen because I was smaller. So I want to have a longer Island to have more people for my cooking classes. So I move here, and I have now a big island. And I Well, it's not that I can do that. But same thing, since you don't know a lot of people. So it's difficult to start again, you know, so as I used to go to have one fight so is the real estate, so I cannot get like to know so at home, we try to get as healthy as we can. And when I was in Mexico, I was not vegetarian 100% But I was in less meat than my move here and my husband, he likes it so so we have that guy in the middle. You know, sometimes we have red meats or mother days we don't. And I do things from scratch like the salsa for the pastor, and some dressings and breads and things like that. That's a well wait at home. And if someone asked me so I would be happy to to help with that.

Ian Arnold:
29:53

Yeah, so what's one of your favorite things to make?

Cynthia Sosa:
29:57

It's a pastor. I love pastor. Yeah.

Ian Arnold:
30:00

All right, so what time are we coming over or? No?

Rick Ripma:
30:08

So we had we had an agent on she was from Russia. And one of her her things that she did with her clients as her client appreciations, and even without, I mean, it didn't they didn't have to be a client if she would have them to her house. And cook. Oh, that's nice. Yeah. I mean, you could do that and teach. I mean, there's lots of people who'd like to learn how to

Cynthia Sosa:
30:29

cook. Yeah, we can plan on that. Yeah, I could get you could, you know,

Rick Ripma:
30:33

take care of two things at once. You could, you know, and you can still enjoy it. But she did really well. That was her biggest way of getting clients was was her cooking.

Cynthia Sosa:
30:44

Group and Facebook from women's creating friendship, and Westfield. And I was gonna go with them, but they always pick the the meetings or coffee times 11am In the morning, so it makes a conflict for me because 11 to 12. So I cannot be for lunch. Right? So but yeah, maybe I need to invite them like, Sunday, Saturday, person. Um,

Rick Ripma:
31:07

it's just something that we and she's done really, really well with it. So it'd be might be

Cynthia Sosa:
31:12

a great idea. I need to hire you.

Rick Ripma:
31:15

Not to cook. The cook.

Ian Arnold:
31:21

Alright, sure. So somebody's listening to this right now. And they want to be like, Hey, let's have lunch with her, let's, or lunch when she's not having lunch with her husband. But let's have lunch with her. And they launch lunch. They want to sit there, they want to see your island. They want to make food with you. What's the best way being in touch with you?

Cynthia Sosa:
31:41

Like calling me to my number again? 956-789-5748. And if I cannot answer because I'm in another call or busy doing work, they can just leave me a text. And yes, I can call and text back. So

Rick Ripma:
31:55

they can call or text 956-789-5748 Correct. I get that right. Yeah, so 956-789-5748 Correct. Perfect. All right. And to get a hold of either I go to hard working mortgage guys.com That's hard working mortgage guys.com. Or you can give us a call at 317. CDC what you did to me,

Ian Arnold:
32:20

telling me you just have issues met from Fire Phone number, just maybe you should write it down so you can read it to

Cynthia Sosa:
32:25

element

Rick Ripma:
32:27

31767 to 1938. I've got it written down to places I can't see. 31672 1938 That's my number. There you go. I do need to I'm gonna start writing it down right here on the page.

Ian Arnold:
32:42

All right. So we always have the question of the week so I was really

Rick Ripma:
32:47

interested in this one very alright. Yeah. Yep.

Cynthia Sosa:
32:49

All right. Oh, my God.

Ian Arnold:
32:51

What was your first car?

Cynthia Sosa:
32:53

Oh, I have a Volkswagen. That all was bagging the bag the bug? Oh, yeah. So

Rick Ripma:
33:02

what Yeah, you were what year?

Cynthia Sosa:
33:04

I don't know. When I was at the University I think was 1989 She's

Ian Arnold:
33:13

not trying to give her he was watching out on this one. I was

Cynthia Sosa:
33:18

comfortable with

Rick Ripma:
33:20

63 bugs and 2000s are still popular. Yeah, I'm a car guy like your husband. I liked

Cynthia Sosa:
33:27

the beetle. Didn't you knew you know what my husband hates that so I imagined myself driving that car and say no. So I'm buying the cars that's not a no carbon storage drive now. Sentra because it's like efficient with the gas so spacious so that's my recommendation for renters don't get in a car that's very expensive like use a lot of gas so yeah,

Rick Ripma:
33:55

a lot of gas

Ian Arnold:
33:57

a lot of yards and you put a lot of miles

Cynthia Sosa:
33:59

a lot of miles so you need to be a car that is functional. And it is hot air conditioning is a warm settings with depending of the time of the year so heated

Rick Ripma:
34:08

seats. Yeah, I'm guessing you'd want heated seats. Yeah, yeah,

Cynthia Sosa:
34:12

yeah, it goes they have letter sets which is the other the only way this car we can buy this car because what all the things we wanted it was like that. And in when it's summer they're very hot and a winter they're very cold. So

Rick Ripma:
34:29

I love leather seats.

Cynthia Sosa:
34:31

I don't I do but if you want the windows up and down the quality of the side roof and other things and other stuff like they have so yeah,

Ian Arnold:
34:45

go to the top of the line and automatically gets leather you'll

Cynthia Sosa:
34:48

need to letter so yeah, yeah,

Rick Ripma:
34:50

others better. That's why I prefer

Ian Arnold:
34:52

leather and then my heated seats from almost October to April is always on heated seats feel so good. And so good.

Rick Ripma:
35:03

I didn't think you were that cold. I'm not now you're sounding like me. I'm always freezing. So you're you've got all this stuff going on. What are you most excited about in your in your real estate business right now what? As you look out into the future, but

Cynthia Sosa:
35:20

right now as this is kind of a new beginning for me, I was very excited. Like, last week, I just bought my new signs because I didn't have personalized signs because everything belongs to a team. In our going to pick my signs, I feel like oh, this is good things I'm going to show myself to people now they're gonna get to know me. Yeah, so my name and things like that. So I'm excited like that it that point. And also, this year, I have my three first new constructions deals. It was a new thing for me, because I have never been in new constructions. And I love them. I would like to have more new construction clients. It's kind of easier in some point, you know, but because you do a lot of things for your clients. But once you pass that point, the builders, they do most of the rest of the things. Yeah. So

Rick Ripma:
36:12

I spent 11 years with a new home builder. Yeah. So you know, so I know exactly. Yeah, it can be. There's, there's, there's benefits to buying with a builder, and then there's negatives to buying. But right now, there's not much on the market. So a builder is a good alternative, I would guess.

Cynthia Sosa:
36:31

Yeah, the thing is, like, if depending how much you're pre qualified, you can get a new construction or not. That's a sad thing for some clients. And yes, I this, we're shortage and houses right now, our client, so we're gonna drive in the afternoon, they have the cash or buying cash for the houses. So and they have the price range they're buying and some houses. They're not very good. So in well, the seller always can put the price but we won't see the house sale. No. I

Rick Ripma:
37:07

read something, you probably read it too, that 32% of the homes sold in January were cash deals. No 32%, the highest it's ever been.

Cynthia Sosa:
37:16

Because the rates also, you know, there have been coming up and down. And some buyers don't feel comfortable with that. And they decide to pause. Yeah,

Rick Ripma:
37:27

I find it interesting, because I don't know about you guys. But if I get a lot more than seven or 8% on my on my money that's invested right now, because the markets doing really well. So I'd rather have my money in the market and pay seven or 8%. Personally, but not everybody is that way. Yeah,

Cynthia Sosa:
37:44

there are some people like the people have by right now. It's they're renting and they want to get out of the renting. And you know, that's better paying for your mortgage to pay in rent.

Ian Arnold:
37:57

Because rent is what

Cynthia Sosa:
38:00

percent? Yeah, one of my body or laws being pre approved and in the the amount of money who's going to pay now? Monthly is less than the rent in who was paying, you know?

Ian Arnold:
38:13

Yep. Yeah, that's, that's what happened. My wife and I is when we were getting pre approved and everything I'm like, are our payments gonna be less than what we're paying right now in rent? This is awesome.

Cynthia Sosa:
38:24

You create an equity, you know, and when you're renting, you're like putting your money on the Gerber's paying other people mortgages. Yeah,

Rick Ripma:
38:31

we have a great program that puts that all together that people can actually see what what you actually gain by buying a house. It's amazing. Yeah. When you actually it's easy to talk about, and people kind of, you know, you kind of go okay, I kind of get it. But when you see it on paper, when you see it and written out and you see what it actually does for you. It's phenomenal.

Cynthia Sosa:
38:52

I think that some people just need to be more educated. They don't know a lot of things. It's lack of education. Yeah, that's what is happening sometimes.

Rick Ripma:
39:01

Yeah. And it's it's scary to some people. No, hmm.

Cynthia Sosa:
39:05

I understand that. Because some big commitment. Yeah. Yep. Buying a house. Yeah.

Ian Arnold:
39:10

But it loud. People say it's a huge commitment. It is a huge commitment, because you're making payments. But the other thing is, is let's say in five years, you want to move, move. It's the same thing. And then you got equity, you've paid into it. So your principal your principal is went down, and then you've gotten equity usually throughout the five years. All right, you sell it. Yeah, move. I mean, it's the same thing. You're going to move if you're renting out. I mean, most people when they jump from one place, they'll live there for a couple years and they'll be like, oh well the rents going up let me move somewhere else or something like that. So it's the same thing. Just a little different way. I've always explained it.

Cynthia Sosa:
39:50

Here's like when other this talks that I have had with some clients like they prequalify for too little, and there's what they can buy right now. and put it on their minds that with the money they have now this is the houses that came by and try to understand that say like, what do you need to commit to this house forever. So you can save, or eventually you can sell this house and get another house bigger. So but you need to start at one point, you know, get you out of renting to get in your house. You

Rick Ripma:
40:21

know, one of the things for buyers like that, though, that if they think about it, if they could find a, a double or a triplex that they liked that they could live in one side rent out the other, then they can afford a lot more home because you can count that rent. Yeah, you know, and so sometimes, you know, it's just a change that, you know, you're still better off doing that you're renting anyway, you're probably in an apartment with a bunch of other people. If you own the property, it's a two unit, you rent the other side. Yes, you got somebody next to you. But isn't that better than an apartment now you own the property? And then as you do that, you can move to the next house and keep that as a rental if you wanted to. Yeah,

Cynthia Sosa:
41:00

mostly you're paying your mortgage with the rent next to you, which is huge. Yeah. And in time, you can run both and get your another house pushing afford

Rick Ripma:
41:09

more house because you can use the route Exactly. That so it can make a lot of sense for somebody to look at doing that. And I just I just think it's one of those things people forget about but there's certainly an option there. But you got to be able to find the double or the triplex or the four Plex or whatever it is that you're going to do.

Cynthia Sosa:
41:27

Is it that sometimes with some people, they don't want to make that small sacrifices like living for two, three years, you know, because they want the space the backyard, things like that. But you can do you can have that later, you know, and then if you have investment properties, but

Rick Ripma:
41:44

if you don't have it now, okay, so you're living in a park this is what always it always intrigued me when the way people sometimes think through this. I live in an apartment. I don't have a backyard. I want a backyard. Well, I have to buy double Why don't get I don't want that because I don't have a backyard. Well, you do have a backyard it's just a little bit different because you're sharing it a little bit. Sometimes you're not sharing it all. It's it's still the fence down the middle. But you can accomplish it. And yes, it's not perfect, but it's better than living in an apartment for another three years to save up the money by financially and your whole life is better because of that. So I think sometimes we just have to get over what the perceptions we have in our head. Well, I know I do there are you know, you think you got this goal and you got this? But it's okay sometimes to not do it exactly the way you were. Yeah,

Cynthia Sosa:
42:32

I mean, sometimes we we have some thoughts in our mind, and we need to do different circumstances. And then you can put that in your mind again for future you know, Yep, yeah, I agree. All

Ian Arnold:
42:46

right. So I like to hear stories. So I bet you have quite a few but what do you consider one of your most memorable transactions?

Cynthia Sosa:
42:55

Well, what can I say anything fast? Like my first transaction the was was not easy transaction will let me say that I work with items also people who doesn't have social number, right? And it's like very car thing to do sometimes because they need special things different paperwork. So this lady was in that situation. And we have this lender that I met and one of meetings I have and she was helping us like he was very helpful with that in asking for things and trying to explain the it in person so you need to do that and it put it on the mind that they have to do that because they things were different like social number and then they wanted a house a 300 and then it was like the renting they don't have the proof they were renting you know, what was the order things to pass and they were like us pulling some strings and other strings and strings and the first thing was to we find the house we found the house and it was like in a rural area and at the house needed a lot of things to do but they they say we don't mind we we can fix this on time. We want this big land so my kids can work around so we put the offer just as the price was listed and I will say that I don't know they're gonna take the offer because at that market and that moment there are more people valuing so loads of offers. And there will sit in and they were like well, let's see what happened there when I went to check my email next morning and I this guy is so enthusiastic is from my office also. Guest ticket offer I was excited about my thing. So I call her and she was very happy. And since now, they keep me top of mind. So always sending referrals to me, because they have that very good experience with me. And I really appreciate that. And so that's the way I try to build my business. They keep that good impression on clients. So they remember me. And that's yeah, that's what's my first thing?

Rick Ripma:
45:26

Yeah. Well, that's, that's the biggest compliment you can get as they refer people to you. Yeah, you did a great job.

Cynthia Sosa:
45:32

I always I will say the last time say I appreciate it was send me referrals and say, I will keep sending because they were great with me. I was remembered and Scylla. Thank you. I need to send her something. I

Rick Ripma:
45:43

do work a lot with the i 10. Yeah. When

Cynthia Sosa:
45:48

I was on the team, this guy was Hispanic and speak Spanish was living here for most of his life. And the database, they have a lot of IT people. So I get to learn how to work with them, and try to help them. But I have both sides. So you can do both? Yeah, I can do both. Yeah, for sure.

Rick Ripma:
46:10

I think that's a huge thing. I want to be able to do both and know some of the hurdles that you're going to have to go over, especially with itin and when we do add them to that there's certain hurdles, so you just put it up front and okay, hey, I'm gonna need this, this and this, let's see how we can get this stuff. It's awesome that you're able to help them because I know a lot of people are just basically soon as they say that go up. Nope, we can't help them. And that's it. Yeah,

Cynthia Sosa:
46:35

there's some people, they don't want to work with them. Because it's hard work. You know, it's hard work for the lender also, and for the realtor because you you need to start educating them about the process. And that's very different from regular process conventional or, you know, social number. And then they understand that then they accept that, you know, because what wasn't the big part? They they accept the situation? It's different.

Rick Ripma:
47:05

All right. So if somebody's listening to you right now, and they're, they have questions about buying a home selling a home, or questions, they have an ITEAD. So what's the best way they get in touch with you?

Cynthia Sosa:
47:17

Call me or text me to my number 956-789-5748? I don't answer please leave me a text and I will call them.

Rick Ripma:
47:27

And that number again, is 956-789-5748. And then your email is really easy. It's your first and last name@kw.com Very

Cynthia Sosa:
47:38

easy. You will remember that.

Rick Ripma:
47:40

Cynthia Sol Sol Sol sol. Sol Sol is impossible to forget.

Ian Arnold:
47:43

Yeah. Especially around here. Yes, Sammy. So Sammy. So

Cynthia Sosa:
47:47

one day one person asked me if I was related to him sailing. No.

Ian Arnold:
47:53

I think he was from Cuba, though if I'm not mistaken, or Dominican Republic.

Cynthia Sosa:
47:57

Something around? Yeah, it was because he asked me just because of the last name. Yeah. No, no, no.

Rick Ripma:
48:03

Yeah. You always want that. Yeah, that's just natural, because everybody knows who Sammy Sosa Yeah, you know, and to get all to be in our I got a hard working mortgage guys.com That's hard working mortgage guys.com Or you give us a call at 317-672-1938 31767 to 1938. And please follow us for more indies real estate gurus and

Ian Arnold:
48:25

remind your VA friends, family co workers looking to buy sell refinance. Let us know we're more than happy to hear. Cynthia, thank you for joining us. It's been a pleasure having you on our show.

Cynthia Sosa:
48:33

Thank you for inviting me as

Mindy Riley:
48:35

I went on the list number 33041 recruitment of MLS NUMBER 664589 Arnold NMLS number 095469. Equal Housing opportunity some restrictions apply