Guru Michelle Chandler with Shelia and Michelle Real Estate Team

Rick Ripma: 0:00

Welcome to Indy's Real Estate Gurus. I'm Rick Ripma, your hard work and mortgage guy and I've been in real estate and mortgages for over 34 years, I've helped over 5300 folks finance their homes, my team and I believe in custom tailored loans, not the one size fits all approach. We believe there is a right mortgage for you. And we believe we are the team to deliver it.

Ian Arnold: 0:19

And I'm Ian Arnold part Rick's hardworking mortgage team. I've been in financial industry for 15 years helping customers rebuild their credit to get the best possible interest rate and I have a passion to helping you secure your overall real estate dreams in your for anything like me pay your home off even faster.

Rick Ripma: 0:32

And for any information on mortgages or in the Indiana's real estate market. Go to HardWorkingMortgageGuys.com That's HardWorkingMortgageGuys.com. Or you can give us a call at 317-672-1938. That's 317-672-1938. And on our website, you can just find our information and contact us from there. And today we're really excited all the way from Martinsville, Indiana. We have Michelle Chandler, and your Sheila and Michelle real estate team with with Keller Williams with Keller Williams. Yeah, awesome. And, and so before real estate I always like to start before real estate. What did you do? Where'd you grow up? You know what, what was your life like before real estate

Michelle Chandler: 1:14

before real estate. I grew up in Martinsville, actually, I've known my husband pretty much the majority of my life, I never dated him till senior years Junior Junior Senior summer. And then I've been there. That's where we reside. That's where I do the majority of business. Now we service all of Indiana because I have several agents on our team that service other areas. But that's that's where I've grown up and I was a teacher before I was a real estate agent sixth grade science.

Rick Ripma: 1:48

You know, it's amazing how many it's a great transition problem, it seems to me it must be the best transition into real estate. There are a tremendous amount of people who were teachers who became real estate agents very successful like yourself. And what do you why do you think that is? What is it that

Michelle Chandler: 2:05

I don't know, I can't speak for everybody. But for me, I was handed a sheet my second year into teaching that told me how much I was going to make after 35 years. And I looked at the sheet and I was ticked I was mad about it. Because I thought and I wasn't a good teacher. That's the other thing we need to know I was not a good teacher, I was a fun teacher. But I didn't care about the standardized tests like I should have. I cared about the kids a lot, but I live my life by looking at that clock all day long. I was over that. Then they gave me a sheet on how much I'd make after 35 years. And I thought that's not fair. What if I'm a better teacher than so and so? Or what if I treat the kids nicer than so? And so or what if so, and so is a better teacher than me, you're telling me I'm gonna get paid the same as what they're getting paid. I was like, No, I'm not doing this. So my husband and I had our first child two years into marriage. And I said, I'm not doing this anymore. I'm doing something else. And he said, okay, and my brother in law actually is the one that convinced me I would be good at this.

Rick Ripma: 3:03

So before we get into how you got into real estate, your brother, what's your family like today? I know you have quite a few kids. Yeah,

Michelle Chandler: 3:11

I have. I have a litter of kids. I have four kids, three girls and a boy. So my oldest just got married her and I guess now I have a new son in law. They're out in New York, living their best life. And then I have a daughter that is in college at SMU, she plays basketball. Then I have a daughter who is in the engineering program at Purdue. And then my son is a junior in high school, and my husband who is truly the love of my life, He is literally my backbone in every single aspect of my entire life. He's also the CFO of our team and of our office because I own the office and own our team. So he does all of making sure everybody gets paid what they're supposed to be getting paid and making sure all the bills get paid. Everybody likes him. Everybody loves. Yeah, everybody loves him. Except for me. When it comes time to that quote unquote, business meeting, we have to have, like, hey, looking at the spreadsheets, but my life is on a spreadsheet. So that's the makeup of my my family. They don't know me my kids don't even know me as a teacher because I didn't have any kids when I was a teacher. So they find it kind of ridiculous that I once was in charge of a group of kids.

Rick Ripma: 4:13

So So from there, you're teaching and then you decided to get into real estate. How did that go? How did you do that? So

Michelle Chandler: 4:20

I was looking for a part time job because my husband was also a teacher at the time. He's a high school principal now and has been in administration for years and years. But at the time, we were living off of love. And I needed a part time job because like I said, I had our daughter. And while I was pregnant with her, my brother in law said you should go into real estate you probably be good at it. And so I started researching it. And it was such a huge financial commitment for my husband at the time because we had no money. And we literally were living paycheck to paycheck because it's a teacher salary. And at the time, I think he was making like 20,000 or $30,000 a year. And here I was pregnant. We're gonna have a baby. And so I said okay, Well, I will try it. My husband said, you need to sell one house to break us even can you sell one house and I said, Oh, I can sell one house. And so that kind of is how it's gone. But I have a very competitive nature. I play volleyball in college, my husband was a football and basketball player in college. So like, being competitive is what we are. And so it's been a great little safe place for me to be competitive and enjoy the hunt and the thrill of in the growth in it all. So,

Rick Ripma: 5:25

um, how did you get going? Because it's not always easy to get going in real estate. And you had to sell a house. Yep.

Michelle Chandler: 5:31

Had to sell a house at least one a year. And then I sold my one a year I passed a house every single day going to real estate school. I went for the two week course all day every day. And I passed the same house. It was for sale by owner and I told my husband on the way to church one day, I said that's gonna be my first house I sell and he said, You go right ahead. And I said, I'm going to and he said, You go right ahead, because it was a nice house set up on a big hill. And I called them and they told me no, and they told me no, probably two or three times and I just kept calling them and saying Do you need any more information? I didn't know what I was. What information could I give them? I don't know. I was just I needed to find my one house. I promised my husband. And that was the very first house ever sold. So when they decided to go with a realtor, they called me and they said, Okay, you've you've stayed consistent. And it was a cash deal. And it was a nice house. And my broker who was John Breck of time love that man to this day. really taught me a lot about who to be in real estate. That's a different story but he's very instrumental in my life i i said John Breck somebody is now a verb to me like a fiddle them with kindness when you can't when you think you can't be any more kind of that person, John Beckham and just be nicer to them. But I he's he said, I just want you to know, Michelle, they're not all like this, like meaning you get you know, they call you it's a cash deal. It's done. You know, it was piece of cake and all that real estate's so easy. So that was my very first deal. And I got started, because when my kids would go up and down for a nap, I would start making calls during nap time. And I had a folder that had all of the expireds in it, and all the for sale by owners that I passed, and I made notes every day, called on Wednesday, October 3, call it told him I would call again on November 3, and I every day I would go through that. And I was handwritten. And I would go through that. And I would just do that diligently. So I started out making my living on for sale by owners and expireds.

Rick Ripma: 7:18

Yep. And you worked. Every day you work? Have you had a plan? And then you worked your plan. And you did what a lot of people don't want to do, which is call cold call people. But you did it. Yeah. Because that's how you have to you know, part is maybe how you have to get going. Yeah. Now you do a lot of social media. It sounds like you get a lot of your business from social. We do

Michelle Chandler: 7:38

do a lot of social media. But we also do cold calling still to this day. We do calling nobody likes to get the no, nobody likes to be hung up on. But once you get kicked in the face a couple of times, you're like well, my guess is around the corner. So I gotta keep going. Because I'm gonna get a yes. I just haven't gotten to it yet. So there's no way I'm going to bat 1000 on nose. I'm eventually going to get a yes. So if I have 50 knows that I know my yes is coming. So I'm more eager to call after 20 3050 calls because I'm like, There's a Yes, come in. I just gotta get to it. And I'm certainly not going to stop now. It'd be like running a marathon and just stopping 15 feet before the finish line be like, nevermind, I'm done. Well, okay, then someone else is going to call them and that's gonna be a person in their sphere. So we still cold call, we still do the same basics that we did when I first got started. But we do do a lot of social media a ton. A ton.

Rick Ripma: 8:29

So you spend how much? How long would you say each day or week do you spend on cold calls?

Michelle Chandler: 8:35

Oh, that's no, I wouldn't even say I don't have a number for you for that. Because we're not I don't my so I have a team of nine people on my team, my business partner is retired. So we have seven people that sell we just hired a new gal to be our partner. So she's she's very she came from the auto world. She's very knowledgeable about cold calling, not afraid to make that call. But for most of us, we don't like it so I don't micromanage and I don't motivate either you can manage yourself and you can motivate yourself or my team's not a good spot for you. So I have a database that is massive and they can get in there and call anyone and everyone anytime they want to do it. But I'm not going to hover over you and tell you you have to do it you have to do it you have to do it unless unless I have a client event now you're gonna get in the database and call because now I got money on the line that you're gonna get a yes. And when I have money on the line, then you are going to get in there and cold call because I'm getting in there and cold calling

Rick Ripma: 9:39

too. But it's not really a cold call at that point so much um,

Michelle Chandler: 9:43

sometimes because we'll call a sphere, our neighborhood and it might not know that people neighbor So yeah, if we're focusing on like if we have three houses in one neighborhood and we want to do a Friday night extravaganza and we have hors d'oeuvres and drinks and we're trying to make it like a party theme Yeah, we're cold calling, we're calling everybody we know. But we're also calling people in that neighborhood, we don't know to invite them. That's the best people to have their 1%. We want, we want them to pick their new neighbor, for sure. I always have wanted to send out this postcard. I'd never done it. Because it's unprofessional, I wouldn't do it. But I do want to do it. Before I get out. I want to send out a postcard with a little kid with their finger, way up their nose, and it says stop picking your nose and start picking your neighbor and just send it to a neighborhood when I list out. I haven't done it yet. But I think it's funny. But not everybody has my sense of humor. You already have the picture of your son, or I'll just take one of my Yeah, one of my kids, for sure.

Ian Arnold: 10:36

So, but I think he made a great point is that you're not there to motivate them. You are not there to hound on them and everything. Look, and Rick and I've had this conversation, we both manage people and pass jobs and stuff like that. But you cannot motivate somebody or give them motivation. Either you want it or you don't I can I can tell you how to do it. Now it's your job. Yeah.

Michelle Chandler: 11:01

So our team is probably put together a little different than most team, I don't like to think of it as a hierarchy, like there's a person on top, then there's your husband's on top. Of course, he he actually lets me think I'm the boss, he calls me the boss. But when when it gets down to the nitty gritty, who's the boss. But anyway, I don't like the hierarchy of it, I like to run a parallel team. So if one person is taken out of that we don't fall or crumble, we just relink to the next person to us, because there's no one person more important than the other. If I, God forbid, were to pass away in a car accident, my team could still function without me. If my director of ops who's Brian Williams, decides he doesn't want to do this anymore. If something happened to him, we could still function without Brian, I don't want to function without Brian, or Melanie or Amanda or Kyle or, or, and or Ganon or Chris, or Brooke, I don't want to function without any of them. But we could if we had to. And I look at it as a partnership, they don't work for me. We are partners, you're choosing everyday to walk in my door, I'm choosing everyday to walk into that same door. And so we're choosing each other every single day we get up we choose each other, because you can go whenever you want to go, I can go whenever I want to go it is voluntary, voluntary, that you are coming in and joining forces with me today. Hopefully you do it every single day. And hopefully I do it every single day. So it's more of a parallel. If if Gannon has the listing, then I work for Ganon because he might look at me and be like, Michelle, I need this, this this, this, you got it. I'm here for you. When Danny goes into a listing appointment, or Chris Cook goes into a listing appointment, they're going in there saying my team of nine people will do the following things for you. It is not well I work on Michelle's team. I don't like that. And it took me for ever to shake that out of Ghana. And I love it. He's a he's a younger guy. He's a business grad from IU and he you say this is my boss, and I'd get the card like Gannon stop introducing me as your boss, I'm not your boss, we're partners, you're choosing me, I'm choosing you. We are partners in this. And so now he says it. He says this is my business partner. You know, Michelle, and but that's how I introduced them. That's how they introduced me. That's how we introduce our director of ops. These are my business partners, we all came to look at your house because we're trying to figure out a value for your house. And we have a ton of experience on our team a ton. With Ann and Brian having gosh, I think they have combined over 50 years, just the two of them. Wow. And they are hugely successful. They were huge success agents, successful agents, without me ever involved in them. And they came and said, Hey, have you ever thought about and Brian said, Have you ever thought about a director of ops and I went, Well, I've kicked around, but I'm not real sure. And then and called Brian and said, Hey, is there room for me on a team? Heck yeah, I mean, and is golden. She is just an amazing human being. And so I'm not begging anybody to come be on our team. And nobody's waiting to be begged to be on Team if we're a good social fit. And we have the same morals and values. Come on, let's do it. And if not, it's okay. You'll be successful in your way. I'll be successful my way. No harm, no foul. Yep,

Ian Arnold: 14:11

no, somebody's wanting to work with your great team, how to get in contact with you guys.

Michelle Chandler: 14:14

They would call me. They could call my number which is 317-413-8352. Or you can text me text is a much quicker response. And we our theory is we want to treat you and your family the same way I want you to treat my 87 year old mother, I want you to take care of them. I want you to love them. I want you to understand their situation. And client first, always 100% of time I don't care if it means $0 for you or $0 for the team. client comes first. We are not going to make a business decision that would impact the sale in any way for that client. For its benefit us first. Absolutely not.

Rick Ripma: 14:56

So the best way to get ahold of us your call or text me 1741 3835 to

Michelle Chandler: 15:01

100%. All right, that's my direct line. That's not even like an office line that you will get me 24/7. I don't have awesome office hours. I know there are real estate agents that want to work between this hour and this hour, not me. I don't want you to go to bed and worry about something. If I can answer it in two seconds, shoot me a text or call me I'll get you the answer. If I don't have the answer, I'll get you the answer. So I work all the time. But my kids and family don't know any different. And so, you know, a lot of people you know, worry about are my kids going to suffer? My kids don't know any different. They think this is what every mom does.

Rick Ripma: 15:35

So you've got them full.

Michelle Chandler: 15:36

I totally 100%. During COVID I actually fixed a big breakfast and a big like late lunch. And all four of my kids were sitting there and one of my kids goes, Is this what like it would be like if you're a stay at home mom, and I kind of thought for a second my feelings almost got her and I was like, Yeah, I guess it would be and I said would you rather me have been a stay at home? I didn't even get out and all of them in unison were like, nope, nope, nope. So even the food wasn't very good or they liked the lifestyle in which they're leaving, leave the living I don't know which

Rick Ripma: 16:05

to get a hold of either I got a HardWorkingMortgageGuys.com That's HardWorkingMortgageGuys.com Or you can call us at 31767 to 1938. That's 31767 to 1938. And thanks for listening to indies real estate gurus, the gurus we interview share valuable insights they reveal their strengths, personalities and how they'll work for you what we hardworking mortgage guys secure your best mortgage. Real estate gurus work hard to avoid problems the amateurs don't see. They listen and they find unrealized opportunities. If you're buying or selling a home or real estate guru is a valuable asset. And if you are buying or selling a home, keep listening, and definitely call one of India's real estate gurus.

Ian Arnold: 16:45

Alright, Michelle. So we're going to take a little sidestep from real estate. And now that you got more a little bit more free time not planning a wedding. So what if I gave you 24 hours you can do anything you want, where we catch you doing for fun? You catch

Michelle Chandler: 17:01

me golfing with my family because they all golf, you would catch me on our boat, because we all love boating, and you just catch me hanging out with them. And we'd be playing something doing something where there is a winner and a loser. My family is not into having ties in anything. So we play pickleball we play poker. We play craps together with a big craps table down the basement. We play Monopoly which gets fierce but just we're doers. We love to keep score and there would be a winner or loser and a whole lot arising to go on in between. And you'd be hanging see me hanging out with my, my peeps, my my crew and my besties. So,

Ian Arnold: 17:41

so where's your favorite place to play golf at?

Michelle Chandler: 17:43

Oh, okay, so

Ian Arnold: 17:45

where do you win it?

Michelle Chandler: 17:46

Well, I never. I do not. I'm not exactly a great golfer. I so we're members at Fox Cliff Country Club, which is in Martinsville. Actually, we go there a lot because we are members. So I do love that I would consider it my home course because I am a part of a latest golf League, which I love all my ladies at the golf League. So I would say that's where we play the most but we just went down to Bloomington and play down in Eagles point because we went down there played a round of 18 holes golf and then just went right over to the boat which is over at Lake Monroe, and then spent the rest of the day there. So I mean, it doesn't matter to us. We'll play anywhere. We're not picky for what kind of boat you have switching, switching, the kind that a tube goes behind or skis go behind or like you know what the most important thing when we it was a COVID purchase because my kids came home from college because I had one at the time playing volleyball Division One volleyball, and then one at the time playing division one basketball and they came home and then I had two high schoolers. And so we needed some to do so we ended up like the rest of the world bought a boat and went spent time on the boat and we have but I grew up boating. So skiing to being Kneeboarding just floating around. That is what we do. And the most important thing about the purchase of the boat was how many people can I get on this boat because I have four kids and I want them all on this boat with me all the time. So I don't know what kind of boat. I don't know what kind of a big enough to fit the six of us and a couple of friends.

Rick Ripma: 19:16

Yeah, it sounds like a pontoon. Although pontoon may not have the

Michelle Chandler: 19:19

power. It's not a pontoon. It's the kind where you sit in the front. It's a Crownline Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I know what you're talking about. You got seats in the front. You got this

Rick Ripma: 19:30

backbone motors behind there you go. That's what matters. That's what matters, right? Yeah. All right. So I got to ask one other question to that. That story. Okay. So when your kids were little, did they play basketball or any sports where they didn't keep score?

Michelle Chandler: 19:46

No. One time at one time. Fun about my son. He played baseball. And it was that like as early as you could get him in. He was dying to play something because his sisters all played something. And so we put him in bed A spa and we have a we have a gym in our house. It's a glorified pole barn with a sports court and basketball courts and we used to play what we called what? Waffle ball dot waffle ball dodgeball. So we didn't have enough to feel the team because there's only six of us so we could throw the wiffle ball is wiffle ball dodgeball, that's what it's called. And we you could throw the ball and hit the person with them and get them out like kickball, but yet you swung and hit it with a bat. So it was makeup game. That's what we did all time. And so my little one decided he wanted to play baseball. So we put him in there and this league. Everybody gets to bat one time around, and then you switch infielders out, you know, infielders, okay. And he fielded a ball tagged first base. And he said, Mom, the kid is he's, he said, the referee, just let him stay there. And he looked at the little boy, and I'm sitting in the stands, and he says, to the boy, you're out. And little boy just kind of looks at him. And he goes, you're out. I touched the base before you got to it, you're out. And he got real intense. And then he looked at the coach, he said, Tell him he's out. And the coach was like, No, he can stay there. So Chase comes over to the sideline and yells up into the stance, Mom, I tagged the personnel out. And we had explained to him that there really weren't outs and that there weren't, you know, everybody gets a chance, he hated it, and never wanted to play again. And he didn't, never played again, I fully understand he was mad about it mad. Well,

Ian Arnold: 21:21

I started coaching my kids in soccer when they first started, and it's interesting, all the parents are like, Oh, we don't keep score. We don't do this. And I somewhat understand your point. But then they don't realize that the kids are gone, we're up to zero. As to one now. We're still winning, and they're keeping score. And the parents are like, Oh, no, don't keep scoring like the kids are counting.

Michelle Chandler: 21:41

And the parents are counting to Let's not lie, they all get in the car and go, you won because it was Tuesday, like nailed it. I think it's so crucial that kids get to be a winner and a loser, it's okay to be a loser. I've been a loser, probably more times than I've ever been a winner on something. But if you don't learn how to fail at something, you're not going to be able to appreciate the times to succeed, and you're not even going to know how to succeed if you don't know how to fail. So my huge thing I say at all time, my kids will make fun of me if they ever watch this. But I always say you do not have defining moments in your life you have who you are. And what you are is how you prepared and how you responded to the moment. So that moment is not divining to you whether you fail or succeed. That's not a defining moment, defining is how you prepared and how you responded. That is your defining moments. But

Ian Arnold: 22:28

here, let's put this in. Let's switch this towards real estate. How many times did you fail before succeeded, and now you're now you're really, really you're a guru. So but you failed so many times, and you even today, you'll fail once or twice, but you still keep going

Michelle Chandler: 22:46

I feel all the time I let's just call a spade a spade I fail all the time I fail as a mom, I feel as it has as a wife, I definitely fail as a husband. As a wife, I feel I fail my I failed my best friends before. She's actually called me out when it was really important for Sheila and I to be number one in our company. It's all we cared about. She came to me, she goes, Look, dude, you have said no to me, for a good solid year, something's got to change, and you're losing friends over it. So like I fail all the time. But if you surround yourself by people who love you enough to come and tell you, you're failing, even when you don't know you're failing, and you think you're killing it out of the game, because we were number one that year in our company. And but it almost cost me the things that mattered the most to me. So failing, unfortunately, real comfortable. But it's if you surround yourself by great people, they will let you fail, and then they're gonna pull you out and be like, Okay, you just failed that now let's do it this way. Like, hear me out. Like you're better than this. I want you to be better than this. So failing does isn't scary. And I fail every day on something. There is no way I doubt the all I try to do is let my failures have the least amount of impact on the people that surround me. And I feel like that's a win.

Rick Ripma: 23:56

And by failing, if you learn from it, you become better. Absolutely. That's that's the thing for me. It's like, you know, we're always trying to improve. And the only way you you don't improve things, if it's doing if it's doing well you improve things when it's like, that's not working the way we want, right? So we need to do something different, right?

Michelle Chandler: 24:15

And it's not. It's not even in real estate's weird because a lot of people think you're money hungry if you're doing all these transactions, because our team is, I mean, we're gonna probably break 60 million this year. I say that out loud. And that's scary. But if your goals don't scare you, they're not high enough. And I stole that line from my daughter. So we're gonna break over 6 million last year, we should have done it but three of them slid over into January closings that should have closed in December, but for one reason or another, but we're on our track to do that. And so if if we, if we strive to do that people a lot of times think, Oh, well, they're money hungry. No, no, no, don't get it wrong. I want the paycheck because it means I did it right. Like if I did it right then somebody was positively impacted by that and So I don't even see my paychecks. I don't even know what they are. I couldn't tell you if I have $1 in the bank or no dollars in the bank, those get direct deposited. And then Mr. Spreadsheet, the love of my life, does whatever he feels like needs to be done with it. I mean, I can be included on that anytime I want. But I just don't want to be. So I don't even see the money. I don't even know it's there or isn't there? It's about getting it done. Right. And that's the only way I know I did it right is if I'm at a closing table, and there's a closing, which happens to result in the only way I get paid. And the only way my team gets paid. So

Rick Ripma: 25:36

I understand the first year I did 110 million. I mean, it was like, it was a big deal. Right? Yeah. But you know, it's funny. I don't keep track. They had to tell me I don't keep track. Because I just worry about taking care of as many people as I can. That's, that's what you're trying to do.

Michelle Chandler: 25:53

Right? So a lot of people at the beginning of the year will say, Well, what is your goal, like, give us your goal carpenter used to do this, I worked like I said for John Breck love that man. And they always want us to, like set a goal to begin the year. And I just wouldn't do it. Because I'm so goal oriented, I would run over my own family, and I would just the way I am program. And so my goal every year, I'm gonna sell one house because my husband said that's what I have to do to break even. And so that was my goal. And whatever happened beyond that, that's bonus, you know. And so I've also been very blessed with a husband who has always had a salary to pay all of our bills, we don't live outside of what my husband, his, his salary can afford us. So because we were so scared on real estate, you just don't know what you're gonna get. And so by doing that, we just, we just kind of keep going and keep going. And I honest to god lost the train of my mind the track of my thought process on that. But I don't remember where I was going with it. But we're talking about goal. Oh, there we go. So I don't set a goal. i My goal every year, this is my only goal I have is I want every single person on my team, at the same time to be in a six figure salary. I don't care what that number starts with, I don't care if it started with a three, I would be thrilled for that person. So I want them all to make six figures, my admin, my director of marketing, and my transaction coordinator included, so however, I can make that happen. That's my goal. I get close, but I don't ever get them all in there at the same time. But I get close. So

Ian Arnold: 27:23

yeah, so we don't want your husband yelling at you for not getting your one house. So what's the best way somebody can contact you if they're looking to buy or sell a home? Yes,

Michelle Chandler: 27:31

my cell phone my direct cell line? It goes straight to me it does not go to an office it does not go an answering machine is 317-413-8352 You can call me or text me 317-413-8352 anytime day or night I got your answers. If I don't, I'll get them for you.

Rick Ripma: 27:47

And to get a hold of Ian or I, it's HardWorkingMortgageGuys.com. That's HardWorkingMortgageGuys.com. And that website, you can get a lot of our information. But you can also contact us from there. Or you can give us a call at 317-672-1938. That's 31767 to 1938.

Ian Arnold: 28:04

All right, and now we'll get into the question of the week and the question that week is sponsored by Hey, Rick and I the hard working mortgage guys where we believe in helping and supporting you and your realtor by sending constant updates in loan process. We don't like living in a black hole so we don't allow you to live in a black hole. All right, so here's the question of the week for you. All right, what was your first car?

Michelle Chandler: 28:24

My first car I think it was a Ford Tempo that my parents let me drive and then I drove something else that was really crappy. And then my dad and mom bought me a Ford Probe. So I went through a few of them not because of Rex just because they were all old and and ongoing. So do you care about cars not one but I need something big. That is my biggest concern is I drive a large SUV now. My I've had it for like 15 years then my husband I told him I didn't need a large SUV because I was just driving chase around and so he bought me a car I complained about it for a year apparently did not realize I was complaining about it for a year. But I bought an eight by 10 area rug and came out of home goods trying to put it in my car and looked at my car for God I didn't have my big SUV and I had to call him to come get it and then he came back with a large SUV so I've always been in a large SUV. I just want a large SUV to fit an eight by 10 area rug in and not have to call anybody to buy it. There. Yeah. Person.

Rick Ripma: 29:26

Yeah, I understand. My wife drives the same truck. She's driven since 2013. And it's a pickup Yep, for the same reason. She wants to have the room to put in whatever she wants

Michelle Chandler: 29:36

to do. I want to do what I want to do without having to call somebody to come help me.

Rick Ripma: 29:40

Me I like a little tiny car and if I need help, she can come.

Michelle Chandler: 29:45

It wasn't until I inconvenience my husband twice and said could you bring the truck I forgot that this won't fit my car and then all of a sudden he swapped me out. I just went to go put my son take him to school one day and they're set my other large SUV that he went out and bought cars As you said, I was tired of hearing you complain about the car buyer. He just I've never bought a car. I have never bought a car in my life. My dad has bought my first car. The first two that I got to drive were theirs. Then he bought me my very first car and then carry my husband has bought every single car after that. Yeah. And and when I when I had the goal of one, well, you know, one house a year, I was getting kind of good at selling. And so I drove this minivan that my we bought incredibly it was an arrow Aerostar minivan, only one sliding door. You know, I had two kids. And it was not that great of a car. And it was old, lots of miles. And we bought it for my sister in law and brother in law for probably next to nothing. They were trying to help us out because we were broke. And my husband said if you sell because I wanted a new car so bad, just more convenience for the kids. I wanted to fancy minivan with both doors, you know. And so he said, you sell five houses in one month, then you can get a new car. And I was like alright, and I sure enough, did it and I said this is the car I want and I got a Montana minivan and it was used and I thought it was the greatest aid had a button that open and close the doors that my kids could do themselves love that thing.

Rick Ripma: 31:09

You know, it's it's one of those things. The car matters in real estate, even though you may not

Michelle Chandler: 31:15

my husband feels like it does more than I do. He is very adamant that what I pull up in has to be nice. Because he says it matters he's and especially with the volume that we do and kind of our price point that we find ourselves in a lot. He says it matters a lot. Now keep in mind our kids drove a 2014 Jeep Liberty no AC for years back and forth. 50 miles one my one my one way to and from school and no air conditioning, they'd come home and their hair would be all frizzy. And they're like, can we please have air conditioning? And my husband always be like, Oh, it's it's it's I actually have an appointment to get that fixed. Never did never. Kids have to learn they need to they need to be reminded you are broke and you own nothing. Just so you know that shirt on your back. I own it. So you guys don't need to fight over it anymore on who's going to wear it because it's mine. So you should ask me who? Who's going to wear it? You know, you owe nothing. So can

Ian Arnold: 32:09

you talk to my kids? Because that's what I tell them but they don't they don't believe that. But I need you to come over and tell my kids

Michelle Chandler: 32:14

yeah, they are nothing. i My husband has made that very clear to them. When they've gotten in trouble. They lose everything. He says your world will go dark so they lose you know, all communication with friends all you know the frills of life. They've lost it all. So he will he will remind them he's much better parent than I am. So he knows how to handle those high schoolers and how to raise kids. I am just like, stand behind him goes yeah, what he says he's a much better human being than I am too. By the way. He's one of the greatest people I know that walked this planet.

Rick Ripma: 32:47

So he and just so you know what you do is that's a soundbite. Only, even if it's just for your kids. You just take the soundbite of what she said make sure they listen to it.

Michelle Chandler: 32:55

Give them to my husband let him he's got this huge booming voice that's scary. And Chloe I think my third daughter who's she has this big I mean she's built like a dancer. She was a dancer. I think she's the only kid that was not scared of my husband and she's the one that should have been I mean she's this tiny little thing and he's got she's probably had him wrapped around her little 100 100% There's no reason to be scared Oh no, no 100%

Rick Ripma: 33:20

So what is your what would you say your superpower or superpowers are

Michelle Chandler: 33:25

okay picking the right people to surround myself with that's my superpower. My superpower is to find amazing when I I cannot express this enough. The people on my team the Ghanians the ads the Bryan's the Chris's, the Sheila's the Kyle's The Brooks the Amanda's in the Melanie's. So my husband, my best friend Carmen, surrounding people that are so much better at being a human being than you are, that you have no choice but to step up your game as just a human being. So my superpower is finding amazing human beings and then watching them and going I want to be like you when I grow up. And so when I get put in a situation, I try to think what would Carmen do? What would Carrie do? What would Melanie do? How would Amanda do this? You know? And then I just try to emulate them. It's really the only superpower I have.

Rick Ripma: 34:29

I think that's a good one. That's

Ian Arnold: 34:30

it. I mean, you got to put even like billionaires tell you look, you don't want to be the smartest one in the room. So it's nice that you understand that look, I gotta have other smart people around me. So if I run into something they know what to do.

Michelle Chandler: 34:44

I think it's sweet that you think I'm talking about intelligence. I am 100% Always the middle of the pack or at the low end of that smart intelligence when I enter a room and I'm totally okay with that. I am never are the smartest person in the room ever guaranteed. But I'm also never, ever the nicest or the kindest, or the most gentle, or the most loving, or the most Christ following person in a room, because the people that I put myself in a room with are all of those things every day 24/7. And I cannot tell you how much I aspire to be them as a human being outside of real estate, if I could just be who they are, to me to other people, that's a win real estate is a is a second secondary thing that will just follow that. And most of our business is by sphere. And by treating people the way you would want somebody to treat your 87 year old mother, who has DIAMONDS in a drawer that don't even know that they're there who has a coin collection, worth$160,000, that doesn't even know it's there. And you being able to help find somebody to help them with that without taking advantage of them. So it is just a matter of treating somebody with kindness and love. And being having a servant's heart. I'm not always good at that. Please do not think that this is original from Michelle Chandler it is not it is original from the people I surround myself with.

Rick Ripma: 36:09

I personally think it's the most important thing and a real estate agent. We have. There's a lot of great people, a lot of great agents. But I think one of the most impressive things to me as our Guru agents, many of them are phenomenal people. Yeah. And that matters. That's, to me, that's more important than than everything else. You know,

Michelle Chandler: 36:27

this is this is a little glimpse of it. So Brian Williams joined join my team. So Sheila retired, Brian joined. And he came to me and said, Have you thought about having a director of ops, it's something I'd be interested. He's a great trainer. He's got a heart of gold, he'll do anything for anybody. And I wasn't gonna pass that up. I said, Yes. I didn't even know what he was going to be a director of ops about. But I was like, Yes, sir. For you. Absolutely. And I've known and Jackson for years and years and years. And she never approached me about being on our team. But as soon as I got Brian, I got Ganon. And as soon as I got Brian and Gannon, then an called Brian and said, Do you think there'd be room on your team for me, she never called me. And that doesn't hurt my feelings. What that says to me is she's more comfortable having tough conversations with Brian than she is with me. And then that tells me that first hire was the right hire, because she wants to talk to him not to talk to me, which I love that. So I cannot express enough that it is the people it is and I love them. I love them. Because technically, you could scale back what you sell, and just do it, maybe you and an admin and make more money because the expense of a team is huge. But I these are my peeps. Like I love them. I don't want to do anything without them. I don't even want to plan a wedding. Without them. I don't I don't want anything in my life to be without them. So

Ian Arnold: 37:53

alright, so I know you like telling story. So I want to hear a good one. We heard about your first deal and how memorable it was. But let's hear about another one of your more recent memorable deals.

Michelle Chandler: 38:06

Okay, so I have a lady I will not say her name. But I love her. She swears like sailor she throws F bomb around anywhere she is. She's a little bit rough around the edges. She's tatted from head to toe. And she's one of my favorite people that walk this planet. She called me kind of an I wouldn't say hysterical. But she called me because she was mad. She was mad. She had called another real estate agent wanted to see this house. And from talking to her on the phone. The other real estate agent wasn't really willing to show it to her. And from woman to woman. There was no way I was gonna let a woman feel disrespected by another woman. So I said, Okay, where are you? I'm coming. And usually we want to make sure somebody's pre approve. We want to make sure I didn't care today. I didn't care. We don't care if she can't afford a piece of gum. I'm going to show her this house. And so I met her there. We looked at the house, had no idea what was going on there. And she thanked me she was so sweet. And then after that, I showed her a few more houses, then come to find out she had a house to sell that she owned free and clear. And she bought a house and she referred her best friend to us. And she walks into my office this day, and she will yo Where's Michelle Chandler bring that V out there, you know, and it's out of love. And we all every one of us come to see her because what I learned in that transaction, I thought I was going to be the blessing to her. Because she needed a little bit of a her grandma got in a little bit of a situation. And somebody took advantage of grandma and so my husband as generous as he is, and as kind as he is allowed me to step in and financially help Grandma out to get her so their house wasn't gonna be taken. And Jennifer was so appreciative of that. I just said her name but anyway, Jennifer was so appreciative of that And she taught me that if you are in her circle, then there is no, you can't distinguish between family and friends, if you're loved by her, I will cry because she, I think to this day, I tried to look at people the way that she looked at me. And I thought I was going to be her blessing. And I left that whole transaction, the one being blessed, because the way she taught me how to love a friend changed everything. It changed absolutely everything. And every one that I look at differently because of the way she looked at me in my life, and she had no judgment on me, I had no judgment on her. And to this day, when she comes to my office to pick up a pie, or if she texts me, she's still thrown out expletives. And we all come around, and because we adore her, because she is unabashedly who she is. And either you like her, and you love her, or you don't, and she doesn't care. And I thought, gosh, if I could bottle her up, and figure out how to do that every minute of every day, I'm gonna be alright. So I have to think about her her a lot, because she was my blessing, I was not her blessing. And you would have thought looking at the transaction. Oh, Michelle, you're going to be such a big blessing to hurt you. No, no, that was not I'm telling you, she has paid me 10 times over in just how to love somebody, even when they don't seem like you want to love them. So that would be my most memorable transaction. And that was transactions. So to the real estate lady who did not want to take her call, or give her the time of day because you pass judgment. Thank you very much MPP. And keep on going. Because you're on my team, whether you realize it or not.

Rick Ripma: 41:45

It is a struggle sometimes for people is not to judge,

Michelle Chandler: 41:49

you know what you don't know the situation know, when when my kids were little, I would kick them out of the car and send him into school. And I would always say, find somebody to sit by that's sitting by themselves, because you don't know what they had to go through this morning to get to school, you don't know somebody hug them, you don't know, if they had any clothes, you don't even know if they had breakfast today. Go love somebody that you think needs love today. And that's some, it's what you do in real estate every day, you're walking into one situation, and you can collect all the data you think you want to collect. And then what you find out middle of the transaction is they're getting a divorce, they're both devastated. And there's kids involved and you're like, didn't know that all up front. But nothing, that path should never have changed. Because you found that information, if you start out treating them the way they deserve to be treated, whether you know anything about them or not, then no matter what they're going through, they're going to feel the love all the way through that transaction. And maybe it's just me that wants to move next door, which we've done that they literally bought the house across the street, you know, and there was no you know, issues with them, but you still treat them with kindness and love and try to meet them where they're at no matter what they're going through, because it could be you tomorrow. I mean, you're a couple couple good decisions away from being in that terrible situation that maybe they're facing. I don't know. But why am I getting to not have to face that problem? And you are? I don't know, but I'm gonna be here for you. And I'm certainly not going to pass judgment. Because I don't want you casting any judgment on me. I got my own problems, and I've got my own things to answer when I get to him. We all have our own Yeah, I'm gonna be I'm there's a few I'm gonna have to go like Michelle. She's gonna be like, Michelle, we talked about that over here on the side.

Rick Ripma: 43:30

I don't want that out. Oh, no,

Michelle Chandler: 43:31

no, but we all mess up. So I do it daily. So.

Rick Ripma: 43:35

So if if you were talking to a first time homebuyer, what would you tell them? What are the benefits that they're going to get by owning a home over rent,

Michelle Chandler: 43:44

you're paying someone else's mortgage, whether you're a renter, or whether you're going to be a mortgage, you might as well pay yourself that money, it makes no sense. And I have rentals. And we have several rentals because that's my retirement because I don't have a retirement plan. So my husband has devised my retirement plan through rentals, which he manages he deals with renters all the time, and we tell them all the time, quit being a renter, go buy a house, let's let's help you find a house because I have to charge a renter more than what it would cost them to own a home, right? To cover my costs and anything that might go wrong with the house while they're there. So go do that for yourself. Put yourself in that position. So go go buy a house and invest in yourself stop investing in me or another landlord, invest in yourself, hands down, and you're and you get a tax credit back when for all the interest that you pay that year. That's a tax deduction, then you get a tax credit for being a homeowners or if you're a veteran and there's all these other tax credits and there's there's plenty of loans that you could have that you don't even need any money down. I mean, you guys are the experts on that I stay in my lane I'll that's about all I say when it comes to lending and then I turn them over to lenders because I'm not going to be trying to be the expert where I am not an expert. But let me get you if you have no money to put down, it's okay. Let me get you in front of a lender that can give you options because you still have options to invest in yourself. Even if you don't have any money down to put down on a house, we can still make this happen for

Rick Ripma: 45:13

us quite a few programs really

Michelle Chandler: 45:14

Yes. Right don't realize that people don't realize that everybody's waiting for these interest rates. Look at the history of interest rates, they are fine. They're average, they're average over the last 23 years. Today, this is an average interest rate, it is not high, it is high from our two and a half and three percents. But it took a global pandemic and an election year to fall at the same time. God help us if we have that. Again, we don't want that just for our economy and our people alone in our world world, we don't want that, right. So you can hold your breath and wait for those interest rates to come down all day long, somebody else is buying your good investment because there are still good investments to be had. Right? So and there's ways around to get those interest rates down. My director, Bob says at all time, he says Mary the house date the rate, he goes, when that interest rate drops, refinance, you're going to be fine. We can have the seller even pay some of your points down to get that interest rate down to where it's a more comfortable payment for you. But don't be waiting, do not be waiting, somebody else is going to invest in themselves, you might as well be investing in yourself to know

Rick Ripma: 46:15

what do you think's going to happen, when when the rates do go back down, they may they probably aren't going to get down to the twos and threes. But who knows. But when they go down all these people who got out of the market because rates went up. They're gonna flood it that mean they'd stay side year leases, they did all this stuff. So the market is going to get much tighter, I found that very interesting. People were willing to pay 7080 90,000 over the list price of a home, but they are willing to pay 3% more in interest for a year or two until the rates go back down.

Michelle Chandler: 46:45

Isn't it crazy, and you're not having to fight for it. Like that's the biggest thing is you could be you can might be able to even negotiate some off of that purchase price and buy your rate down. And you are literally sitting there $50,000 ahead of the game, but you don't like it because it's a 7% interest rate instead of a three partisan interest rate. And you're like timeout, wait a minute, I don't know who you've been talking to you. But we need a stop talking to them about real estate talking about some else but not real estate. And let me help you get in front of somebody that can help you put on paper so that you can see why you are in the driver's seat. So we've not seen a low in our business. So many agents are saying, Oh, well, everybody's waiting on the interest rates. No, not. Not if you can explain it right, right. And not not if you have people in your corner that can explain it. Right, right. I mean, I can explain this much. But I can get you in front of people that can explain this much, and why it all makes sense to everybody.

Ian Arnold: 47:38

Don't worry, I love paying somebody else's mortgage.

Michelle Chandler: 47:43

Right right here, let me give you $1,400 a month.

Ian Arnold: 47:48

All right. So I want people to get out of renting. And I want you to be able to help them. So what's the best way they can contact you

Michelle Chandler: 47:54

my cell phone my direct line straight to me, call me or text me 31741383523174138352 And it is so non committal, I am not that real estate agent that is going to handpick you to death until you do something. I am here for as much information as you want. Or as little information as you want. I'm going to share my app with you. You can go out house hunting on your own, you can drive around, all I ask is you give us my team an opportunity to earn your business. Because we'll earn it, I promise I'm not asking for anything to be given to me give us an opportunity to earn it.

Rick Ripma: 48:29

That's fantastic. Because that's what everybody you know, anybody who's really good can earn the business. That's the way we feel

Michelle Chandler: 48:36

I've got we attach everything to every single client of ours gets two agents to them. If you're a buyer, you work with two of our agents all the time, because when one is busy, the other one will show it to you and vice versa. And if those two are busy, we're gonna go right down the line and you will never have to wait to see a house for us. Never. We will always be there ready for you,

Rick Ripma: 48:53

which is fantastic for them and your agents because now people can go on vacation and take time off and yeah, and have a life

Michelle Chandler: 48:59

well, and you're not fighting so hard for it because they're not waiting day 234 And five, when something gets listed. We're going to get in there we're going to put together an offer if it's one that you like that is and we're gonna explain to you why we need to be aggressive. If you like it, if you don't like it, let's keep shopping. I have no problem with that. But it's going to be advantageous because day two, three and four and five, you're gonna have five and six showings and on day one. There are some agents like well, I can't get you until Tuesday will not ask we'll get you in today,

Announcer: 49:25

right? That's awesome.

Rick Ripma: 49:26

And to get a hold of Ian or I, go to HardWorkingMortgageGuys.com That'sHardWorkingMortgageGuys.com Or even call 317-672-1938 31767 to 1938 and follow us for more indies real estate gurus

Ian Arnold: 49:40

and reminder if you have any friends, family or coworkers looking to buy sell, refinance, let us know we'd be more than happy to help you. Michelle, thank you for joining us on our show today. It's been a pleasure having you on

Michelle Chandler: 49:50

I've never done this. I am sci fi and I love it. It's fun. We appreciate

Rick Ripma: 49:55

it. And we You're fantastic. Your stories are great. You're You're a great day digit but you're obviously also a phenomenal person. But your husband sounds like the real he's

Michelle Chandler: 50:04

the real deal you need to get him on. He's not got as many stories as I do, and he is. He'll bring a spreadsheet you guys can all go over it together.

Rick Ripma: 50:14

Yeah, I don't think we'll have him that'll be the offer. Kidding.

Michelle Chandler: 50:18

He's got very dry so he's very hysterical actually is pretty funny guy.

Announcer: 50:22

Brent NMLS number 33041 Recruitment NMLS number 664589. You know Arnold NMLS number is 195469 equal housing opportunity. Some restrictions apply.