REAL Smart with Cheryl King and Maura Neill

Some deals come dressed up as opportunities… but carry real risk underneath. “Subject to” offers promise creative solutions, but they can raise serious legal and ethical concerns, including potential mortgage fraud. What sounds like a win-win can quickly unravel if lenders, title, or the law get involved. In this episode, Maura and Cheryl pull back the curtain on these offers, what they really mean, and how to recognize when a deal crosses from creative into dangerous territory.

Sometimes it's about more than just the house. From refrigerators to light fixtures to that oddly beloved backyard swing, personal property can turn a smooth transaction into a surprisingly emotional standoff. What’s included, what’s excluded, and what was assumed can quickly blur, especially when it’s not clearly defined in the contract. In this episode, Cheryl and Maura break down how small items create big disputes and how to eliminate confusion before it becomes conflict.

Possession sounds simple… until it isn’t. When buyers or sellers stay in a home outside of closing, the clean handoff everyone expects can quickly turn into a tangle of liability, timelines, and unmet expectations. Who’s responsible if something breaks? What happens if someone won’t leave? And what did everyone think was agreed to versus what’s actually in writing? In this episode, Maura and Cheryl unpack how post-closing and pre-closing possession can go sideways, and how to structure these agreements so the keys change hands without the chaos. 

In this episode, Maura and Cheryl explore the shifting landscape of seller-offered compensation. With changes like South Carolina REALTORS® removing cooperative compensation from listing agreements—and new expectations around buyer brokerage agreements—agents and sellers alike are rethinking old norms. Should sellers still offer compensation upfront, or is it time for commission to become just another negotiable piece of the deal? This conversation zooms out to the bigger picture and what it means for how deals get structured going forward.Link to Cheryl's Buyer Broker Compensation Strategy Sheet: https://www.smartstips.com/resources

In this episode, Maura and Cheryl tackle loan denial letters in Georgia real estate transactions—what actually qualifies as a valid denial under GAR forms and what doesn’t. They also explore how to navigate conversations with lenders who may not be familiar with Georgia’s contracts and timelines. It’s not the most glamorous topic, but understanding it can make all the difference in protecting your clients—whether you’re representing the buyer or the seller.Get Cheryl's Loan Denial Cheat Sheet, here: https://tr.ee/lFaDR4XFjB

In this episode, Cheryl and Maura dig into the GAR Financing Exhibits—Conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA—and uncover the often-overlooked protections built into each one. From critical timelines and deadlines to the commitments your clients make when they sign, this conversation breaks down what really matters (and what’s often missed). It’s a practical, best-practices guide designed to help real estate agents navigate financing with more clarity, confidence, and care.