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24. Back to Boilerplate: Active Tax Appeal
33:54||Season 4, Ep. 24This month's theme is Back to Boilerplate: the language or information you need is already in the GAR contract, you just may not know it's there. Case in point: Maura has a client under contract on a house where the seller didn't disclose an active tax appeal; when the pre-closer found it, a quick convo with Cheryl gave some clarity: turns out the information Maura needs is buried right there in the GAR contract's proration section (B3d). She and Cheryl dig into the ways to handle an active tax appeal (withdraw the appeal or let it ride), what the contract says about who benefits if it succeeds, and the real-world mess around escrow recalculations and when buyers actually find out. Most importantly, they also cover how to avoid a tax appeal surprise, whether you represent the buyer or the seller.
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23. Closing Arguments: Call Your Broker First
39:58||Season 4, Ep. 23Closing attorneys aren't your litigator, your CPA, your divorce lawyer, or the judge -- but they keep getting asked to be all four. This week Cheryl and Maura draw the line on what's fair to ask, why "call your broker first" matters, and the one rule that keeps everyone out of an awkward spot: don't CC your client on a question that isn't theirs to answer. Final part of our series on working with your closing attorney.22. Closing Arguments: Do Better
34:10||Season 4, Ep. 22Uh-oh...Maura's had it. In this episode, unofficially titled "Things That Have Pissed Maura Off This Week," Maura vents about running into the same avoidable problems time and again -- missing disclosures, HOA documents nobody has ready, non-responsive agents, and listings still marked "active" when they're already under contract. Cheryl weighs in (yes, there's an actual Standard of Practice for that) and we talk about why so much of this comes down to laziness or gatekeeping rather than any real rule. It's a little bit venting, a little bit "here's how to not be that agent" -- consider this your do better list.21. Closing Arguments: Disclose, Disclose, Disclose
44:37||Season 4, Ep. 21reliminary title, legal descriptions, estate sales, powers of attorney -- there's a lot a closing attorney needs to know before you ever get to the table, and most of it isn't obvious. This week Cheryl and Maura walk through what to ask for and what to disclose at every stage, from listing appointment to closing day, plus real stories about what happens when that information shows up too late.20. Closing Arguments: Who's Who at the Closing Table
37:10||Season 4, Ep. 20Georgia is one of only about 11 states where an attorney's office -- not a title company -- runs the closing and controls the money. That makes the closing attorney's office a mystery to plenty of clients, and more than a few agents. This week Cheryl and Maura go back to basics -- who's who from the pre-closer to the closer, and who the closing attorney actually represents.19. Working Smarter: A Tool, Not a Replacement - AI in Your Real Estate Business
44:33||Season 4, Ep. 19Everyone's asking about AI -- but do agents actually know what they're asking for? In this episode, Maura and Cheryl get real about what AI tools can and can't do for your real estate business. From practical use cases (hello, 75-page HOA documents) to the compliance landmines you need to avoid -- including a big one specific to Georgia -- this conversation covers how to use AI as a first draft, not a final answer. Plus, why prompting matters more than most agents realize, and why the skills that make you great at this job are still the ones no AI can replace.18. Working Smarter: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
43:16||Season 4, Ep. 18Real estate teams come in all shapes and sizes -- and the model that works for one agent might be the wrong fit for another. In this episode, Maura and Cheryl walk through the different ways teams are structured today, what agents should consider before joining one, and what it really takes to build and lead a team of your own. Whether you're flying solo and wondering if it's time to grow, or you've been approached about joining a team, this episode will help you ask the right questions before you make the leap.