RamseyTrusted®️ Customer Story: Selling the Unsellable

Whether someone is upsizing, downsizing, relocating or trying to fix a bad situation, selling a house is never easy. Take Ryan D., a teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for example. He found out firsthand just how hard it is to sell a home on his own.

With a family of five, Ryan was desperately trying to get out from under a housing situation that was destroying his family’s finances. Even though he was running out of time and hope, Ryan was able to pull off what felt impossible—with help from a RamseyTrusted real estate pro.

The Burden of a Home Equity Loan

So, where does Ryan’s story start? Well, a couple of years back, he got fed up with his finances. There never seemed to be enough money—despite the fact that both he and his wife were bringing home income! To help them take control of their money, Ryan’s brother lent them The Total Money Makeover book, where they learned about Dave Ramsey’s simple plan for paying off debt and building lasting wealth. From there, they started regularly listening to The Ramsey Show, where they got great money advice, plus the motivation and inspiration to follow through on it. After Ryan and his wife sat down to start their first budget using EveryDollar, Ramsey’s popular and powerful budgeting tool, they discovered the root of their money problems—the house had to go.

“We had a home equity loan that was crushing us,” he said. “It was staring me in the face. The only way I could think about possibly getting rid of it was to sell the house.”

“We had a home equity loan that was crushing us. It was staring me in the face. The only way I could think about possibly getting rid of it was to sell the house.” – Ryan D.

If you have customers considering a home equity loan, point them to Ryan’s story as a warning. The remaining balance on his mortgage was just $45,000. But he and his wife owed an additional $60,000 on their home equity loan. That’s a total of $105,000 in debt on a house worth $114,000 at most. Not only had they practically wiped out their home equity, but the payments on both loans were keeping them trapped living paycheck to paycheck. If they had any loss of income, they would have been at risk of losing their home.

That’s not all. Ryan’s home was located in a declining neighborhood. Not only did it feel unsafe for his family, but the house was depreciating in value! The clock was ticking on how much he could make by selling it.

Seeking Help

Ryan and his family had a lot riding on the sale of their home. It would improve their money situation instantly—but time was of the essence. He needed some guidance. That’s when he remembered hearing Dave mention the RamseyTrusted program—a network of rock-star real estate agents who follow Dave’s financial advice and have the heart of a teacher.

So, Ryan tried the RamseyTrusted program, which immediately referred him to some agents in his area. When he saw that the agents’ profiles showed where each agent was on Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps, he knew these were like-minded agents he could trust.

See if you have what it takes to be a RamseyTrusted pro.

Ryan connected with the agents to get some advice. But, since he was already in a tough spot financially, he wasn’t sure if paying an agent commission was the smartest way to go. He decided to start by selling his home on his own.

The Struggle of Selling Solo

Ryan listed his home on Zillow, but he quickly found out how hard it is to sell a house—especially solo. “I thought the market was so hot that all I’d have to do was put a For Sale sign in front and I’d get somebody right away,” Ryan said. “But I didn’t understand how to price it or show it.”

“I thought the market was so hot that all I’d have to do was put a For Sale sign in front and I’d get somebody right away. But I didn’t understand how to price it or show it.” – Ryan D.

On top of that, the house was in rough shape—the water heater was 40 years old, the furnace was 35 years old, and there was no central air. After two months, he only had about four or five people view his home. Most of them were house flippers who offered prices that were way below his asking price. So, he took it off the market.

Time to Go Pro

Ryan started to doubt that he’d ever sell his home. But he knew he had to save his family from the budget-crushing home equity loan and less-than-ideal location. So, he decided to go back to RamseyTrusted and team up with a pro. He reconnected with Jim G., one of the real estate agents he’d found through the program.

“I was really wondering if we could sell it,” Ryan said. “But Jim was confident . . . he took us through it step by step.”

Jim, Ryan’s RamseyTrusted pro, knew exactly what to do. He helped Ryan and his family stage their home for buyers. They cleared the clutter and lit up every nook and cranny. Then, Jim arranged for a professional photographer to take high-quality listing photos. Once Ryan’s house looked its best, Jim listed it on a multiple listing service (MLS,) giving Ryan’s home a better chance of getting the attention of serious buyers.

Within the first two days after the listing went live, six interested buyers did a walkthrough. Did you catch that? Ryan had more showings in two days selling with a RamseyTrusted pro than he had in two months selling solo! By the second week, the house was sold.

Ryan had more showings in two days selling with a RamseyTrusted pro than he had in two months selling solo! By the second week, the house was sold.

“The burden that was lifted once that home equity loan was paid off was astounding,” Ryan said. “Without Jim, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. And without the RamseyTrusted program, I wouldn’t have found Jim.”

That’s the impact you can have as a RamseyTrusted pro!

Bring Confidence to Your Community

Ryan and his family were able to sell their house and escape the burden of their home equity loan, giving them a whole new outlook on their financial future. But there are families in your neighborhood who are still fighting battles against similar situations—and they need your help.

When you become a RamseyTrusted pro, you do more than win business from the leads we send you. As a member of our program, you bring confidence to your community with expert guidance and the heart of a teacher. Plus, Ramsey has coaches on staff dedicated to helping you close the business we send you. Ready to get started?

Become a RamseyTrusted pro today!