Stacks and the City

Latest Episodes:

Episode 72: How to Fail Forward in Real Estate With Keith James Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

Are you really ready to be a homeowner? Are you overwhelmed with details and information? Whew, I feel you. Today’s episode features Real Estate extraordinaire Keith James who answers every question you have had if you’re interested in investing in Real Estate as a first time homebuyer. Keith is a Real Estate agent and managing partner of the Coalition Properties Group in Washington, DC. Keith divides his expertise into three sections: getting started as an investor, getting started as a first time homebuyer, and how today’s current events (i.e. the current pandemic and the outpour of protests regarding the murder of George Floyd) affect the state of the market. Many thanks to Keith for his insight and assistance!

Three Key Takeaways From Each Section of the Conversation:
Buying a Home as an Investor:

You don’t necessarily need to a perfect credit score to purchase your first property
Get a mentor! They are extremely important when getting the support and resources needed for reaching your goal

Buying a Home as a First-Time Homeowner:

Take advantage of first-time homeowner programs. You don’t need to put all your money down for a property!
Know what to ask when looking for a real estate agent

Current Situation:

Do everything you can to build wealth for your community
Investing in DC if you can; however, there are many areas outside of DC that are worth investing in as well!

Many many thanks to Keith for your AMAZING insight! As always, let me know what you think and I look forward to seeing more keys in hands in 2020! Stay amazing!

Music:
www.bensound.com

Keith James Information
@keithjamesrealtor
keith@coalitionpg.com
https://www.coalitionpg.com/

Episode 71: Ten Years. Black Victims. No Justice. What's the Holdup? Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone. Today’s podcast features yours truly as I work to synthesize why there are been countless deaths from police officers yet little to no change to really reform the system of use of excessive force. I took the time to listen to conservative thought leaders, read media from both sides, and listened to podcasts featuring both sides of the “argument” and came to this conclusion:

There is an inherent difference between the way our country perceives its justice system and structure of the United States. It all boils down to trust vs distrust of justice In our government

Conservatives don’t see the why behind our [valid] arguments because they generally don’t inherently see the structure of our government as deeply flawed.

How did I come to this conclusion?

The Presence of Unions Which Protect Both Good and Bad Cops
1. The power of the local government when discussing law
Trust vs. Mistrust in the Intention of Law Enforcement
Invisibility of Racism

This isn’t an attack toward conservatives, police officers, or even our country- but it is an important and necessary critique. I wanted to better understand the conservative opinion so I can better craft the argument for reform in our justice system and how African-American men are constant targets for our prison systems and use of excessive force.

Stay Amazing, Ya'll.
Ashley Copeland

Follow Me:
@stacksnthecity

Music:
www.bensound.com

https://newrepublic.com/article/157918/no-cop-unions

https://www.unionplus.org/page/what-union

https://iupa.org/

https://smartasset.com/career/the-pros-and-cons-of-unions

https://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/what-police-unions-do-and-why-it-matters-Dl1MptG2fXOZZAmH/

https://www.amazon.com/The-New-Jim-Crow-audiobook/dp/B007R0L47O/ref=sr_1_1?crid=17Y44EGZS574H&dchild=1&keywords=the+new+jim+crow&qid=1591353179&sprefix=the+new+%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1

Episode 70: Omojola Hebron Explains The Similarities Between Buying a House and a Bag May 28, 2020

Show notes

Many times, wealth building can be overwhelming and confusing at times but it doesn’t have to be! Today’s CEO Spotlight features a young woman who extensively invests in the stock market and owns four properties across the United States. She explains her methods for obtaining homeownership and describes some stocks we should consider investing in. When listening to the podcast, I want you all to pay attention to these key points:

Know the importance of location
Learning how to use your first home to save money and purchase additional homes
Learn the power of using your willpower and knowledge to build wealth

As always, thank you for tuning in! Because of you all, Stacks and the City has had the most downloads since its inception! I’m so grateful for your support, insight, and greatness. Let’s get to the money and create a life for ourselves that we deserve. Stay amazing and quarantined!

Keep in Touch:
@stacksnthecity

Music:
www.bensound.com

Episode 69: Marcus Goodwin Dishes the DC Housing Market May 21, 2020

Show notes

Today’s CEO Spotlight features real estate developer and candidate for DC Council-at-Large Marcus Goodwin. Marcus is a native of DC who delves into his journey from starting with his humble beginnings to graduating from the University of Pennsylvania to becoming a candidate for DC council-at-large. Stacks and the City will start to delve into the semantics of the homeownership process. Our interview discusses:

The Importance of Lowering Your Tax Burden: No matter how much money we earn, taxes are inevitable. Generally speaking, the more you earn, the more Uncle Sam feel entitled to take. However, did you know there are ways to mitigate the tax burden? You can go as far as finding tax shelters to lesson the amount of money you owe. If you want more information on how taxes really affect your money, let me know in the comments and we’ll get a show set up!

Can I Afford to Purchase a Home in Washington DC?: Washington, DC is one of the most expensive cities in America. According to zillow.com, average home prices are $640,000. What does that mean for the first timeDMV homeowner?

Are There Any Downpayment Assistant Programs Available?: NACA (https://www.naca.com/) is available for downpayment assistance. Downpayment assistance means there are programs who pay for the upfront costs that can make it difficult for people to become homeowners. If you want more information on downpayment programs definitely let me know.

As always, let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to hearing from you all soon! Special thanks to Marcus for his insight and expertise!

Stay in Touch:
@stacksnthecity

Music:

www.bensound.com

Episode 68: Beca Soto's Recipe for Financial Success Involves Wine May 14, 2020

Show notes

Hello my wonderful wealth builders! I've done some research in the past on people who specialize with budgeting and planning part of money management and I stumbled across @thefinancialgym. The Financial Gym is a company that treats your money like going to the gym- you pay a monthly membership fee and you receive a personal money trainer to get your finances fit.

I had the pleasure of speaking to Beca Soto, a level two trainer for the gym's DC location. She uses a unique combination of enthusiasm, passion, and personal story to influence her trainees into getting into financial shape. Budgets, spreadsheets, and judgement don't drive the conversation; instead, goals, envisioned lifestyles, and even tissues drive the change.

In this episode you'll learn:

What exactly is the financial gym and how it can help you
What sparked Beca's passion for empowering others financially
Beca's biggest financial mistakes
How wine and money are directly correlated.

The Financial Gym is still offering Wine Wednesdays and virtual training sessions, so there's no reason better than now to get started! Information to the financial gym is here.

More Information on bullet journaling is here.

Keep In Touch:
@stacksnthecity

Music:
www.bensound.com

Episode 67: Did Warren Buffett Just Destroy an Industry? May 07, 2020

Show notes

Hello wonderful people! Today's episode is in direct response to Warren Buffett's annual shareholder meeting of his company Berkshire Hathaway. On May 2nd, he made an announcement of his company selling his 10% stake of the four major American-based airline companies: American, United, Southwest and Delta airlines. This announcement caused a huge stir in the investment world- but why? In this episode, we will:

Provide context to Warren Buffett's power and why he's so important
Define and explain the concept of the annual shareholder meeting
Describe and break down Warren Buffett's annual shareholder meeting
Delve into the contents of his shareholder meeting
Answer the big question: Should we invest in airlines??!!

My ebook on the beginner series in investing in the stock market is out now!
https://www.stacksandthecity.co/cart-page

Keep in Touch!
@stacksnthecity
Music: bensound.com

Resources Used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69rm13iUUgE

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/062413/peek-shareholder-meetings.asp

https://www.investors.com/news/airline-stocks-boeing-stock-warren-buffett-coronavirus/

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4343571-warren-buffett-is-wrong-airlines

https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/letters.html

https://www.amazon.com/Intelligent-Investor-Definitive-Investing-Essentials/dp/0060555661

Episode 65: You Need To Ask Yourself These Four Questions Before You Make Your First Investment Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! I've been getting so many questions about which stocks to pick and the research you need to do and I promise it's more intuitive than you can imagine. Though the stock market indeed does consist of many charts, graphs, and intimidating terminology to help determine whether a stock is worth investing in or not, there are also a number of questions that you can absolutely answer yourself. In fact, I recommend these questions before you even delve into facts and figures. Much of my inspiration and what I use comes from Invested By Danielle Town and I HIGHLY recommend her book. Stay amazing, fabulous and I can't wait to hear about your investing success stories!

Questions That You MUST Say Yes To Before You Purchase a Stock:

1) What do you like to go shopping?
I recommend writing a list of five companies you actively make purchases in.

2) Do you see other people buying where you shop?
Is the store/product/entity popular? Do you see people buying it? Is it something you friends are into? If the answer is yes, it's definitely worth purchasing.

3) Do you see the company around in at least five years?
How does the company look? Are storefronts cute and forward thinking or are they busted and decrepit? Do you see a decline in where people shop? Is the company a necessity?

4) What's the buzz surrounding the company?/Is it positive or negative?
What have you heard about the company? Are they releasing a new product? Has there been any high-profile endorsements? Did someone in leadership say something shady? This is what research looks like for the company of interest.

Ya'll there are more factors in determining whether a stock is worth investing in or not, but these are the fundamentals. Know this and you're already there! Practice these and you'll be a whiz in investing. Stay fabulous and amazing and I can't wait to see you all soon.

Resources:
https://www.amazon.com/Invested-Warren-Buffett-Charlie-Emotions/dp/B0797GF85V/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XPJXY1UZ9B3J&dchild=1&keywords=invested+by+danielle+town+and+phil+town&qid=1587615253&sprefix=danielle+town%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-63-so-stock-market-talk-isnt-modern-day-hieroglyphics/id1390022492?i=1000470974954

Follow Me:
@stacksnthecity

Music:
bensound.com

Episode 64: Naima Barnes is Telling Us Where To Click To Get Invested Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

Today's CEO Spotlight features Naima Barnes, Personal Finance Coach and Planner. She breaks down all of the know-how when it comes to investing in the stock market from the beginning to the end. If you have no idea where to start or what to do, she's the woman to talk to. During the interview, she discusses where to even click after opening your first investment account. This episode is perfect for those interested in getting involved in the stock market and have no idea what to do!

Episode Highlights:

Rule of 72: long story short- an easy way to determine how much money you'll have over time
What's Eron?
Am I going to lose all of my money?
Where do I even start investing in the market

Be sure to catch Naima's podcast Code and Coin here:

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/code-coin/e/67442622

Follow Naima:
@naimanbarnes

Follow Me:
@stacknthecity

Music:
www.bensound.com

Episode 63: So...Stock Market Talk Isn't Modern Day Hieroglyphics? Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! Today we are decoding ten of the most common terms of the Stock Market. I truly believe in order to understand the Stock Market you must understand the basics. I'm breaking them down as simply as possible! As always, if there are any questions you may have do not hesitate to let me know. There will be a live on my Instagram this Friday to delve deeper on definitions so do not miss it!

Be Sure to Follow Me:
@stacksnthecity

Music:
bensound.com

Terms Discussed Today:

Stock Market
New York Stock Exchange
NASDAQ
Ticker Symbol
Publicly Traded Company
Share
IPO (Initial Public Offer)
Trade
Dow Jones Industrial Average
Standard & Poors 500 (S&P 500)

Knowledge will forever be power. Here the following resources I used to help with the definitions. Definitely read up and get more information. This podcast episode was meant to be as simple as possible. Ya'll are fabulous!

https://www.nerdwallet.com/

https://www.investopedia.com/

https://www.businessinsider.com/

https://grow.acorns.com/investing/

Episode 62: COVID-19 Coin Crisis of 2020 Apr 02, 2020

Show notes

Hello again wonderful people. Today's CEO Spotlight is a little different than what we normally do here. COVID-19 is snatching jobs and financial independence from so many of us- myself included. However, do not fret! There are myriad of resources and assistance present to help us get through this.

Today, I am featuring Councilmember Elissa Silverman. She's here to provide resources and insight for those who have been most financially impacted by the pandemic. In this episode she will discuss:

Why Washington, DC started the Stay-at-Home mandate
Why call times have been so long to file unemployment benefits
How to get your unemployment benefits
Resources to help during this financially difficult time

Ya'll you are not alone! We are in this together! If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me! Stay amazing and fabulous! Wash those hands, ya'll!

Follow Me:
@stacksnthecity

Music:
bensound.com

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