Advertise on podcast: Troy Talks

She Was Overlooked as a Client. So She Became the Agent She Needed. | Melissa McClendon What happens when a disappointing experience becomes the beginning of something you never planned? Melissa McClendon wasn't looking for a career in real estate. She was going through a divorce, trying to sell her home, and felt she wasn't receiving the attention and service she deserved. So she decided to educate herself. She went to real estate school, not to become an agent, but to better understand the process and protect herself. That decision changed the direction of her life. Today, Melissa is a Broker Associate with Compass in Greater New Orleans. With over a decade of experience and more than $100 million in real estate sales, she has earned recognition for her professional accomplishments and commitment to serving her community. But this conversation isn't just about sales, awards, or success. We talk about: How a disappointing experience led to an unexpected career. Why every client deserves respect, regardless of the price of their home. The realities of building a successful real estate business. How Melissa learned to remain calm when everything around her seems to be falling apart. The emotional closing that reminded her why helping families become homeowners matters. Why she sees real estate as more than a career. For her, it's a ministry. What homeowners and investors should understand beyond the closing table. One of the things Melissa said that stayed with me was: "Calmness is my superpower. The minute I lose that, it's over." That's not just a real estate lesson. That's a life lesson. In this episode of Troy Talks Money, we explore resilience, leadership, faith, financial education, and the importance of treating people with dignity. Because sometimes the greatest measure of success isn't how much money you've made. It's the difference you've made in somebody else's life. 🎙️ Troy Talks Money | Season 4, Episode 15 Guest: Melissa McClendonBroker Associate | CompassGreater New Orleans, Louisiana Connect with Melissa:Instagram: @melissa_mcclendonPodcast: At Home with Melissa Connect with Troy Holt:Website: https://TheTroyTalks.com If this conversation encourages you, follow Troy Talks Money and share this episode with someone who could benefit from Melissa's story.

The Mortgage Plug: Second Chances, Tough Loans, and Financial Freedom What happens when the very past you're trying to overcome threatens to close the door on your future? For Crystal Meyer, that question wasn't hypothetical. It was personal. She became a mother as a teenager, experienced incarceration, lost her mother, and faced the difficult task of rebuilding her life. Today, she's known as The Mortgage Plug, a mortgage professional helping borrowers explore financing options when traditional lending doesn't fit their circumstances. But getting there wasn't easy. In this episode of Troy Talks Money, Crystal shares her journey from starting over to navigating the mortgage licensing process and building a business focused on helping others find opportunities. We also get into the financial side of homeownership, including: Why self-employed borrowers sometimes struggle with traditional mortgage qualifications. How non-QM, bank statement, and DSCR loan programs work. Why real estate investors may need different financing strategies. What every homeowner should understand about mortgage amortization and interest. Why being told no doesn't always mean there isn't another option. And there's an important conversation about something I've discussed for years: Getting into a home is one milestone. Understanding the long-term financial commitment is another. This episode is about resilience, second chances, financial education, and the importance of having someone willing to look beyond the obvious. Listen to Episode 14 of Troy Talks Money. Learn more about Crystal: https://closedwithcrystal.com Financial education and debt elimination strategies: https://troyholt.com Educational content only. Mortgage options and qualifications vary by lender, program, and borrower circumstances.

Two people working at ShopRite. $10,000 in assistance. Less than $2,000 brought to the closing table. And they became homeowners. On this episode of Troy Talks Money, I sit down with Gina Poslusny, a Realtor licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania who works extensively with first-time homebuyers. Gina came to America as an au pair, spent 11 years in retail, and eventually made the jump into real estate. Today, more than half of her clients are first-time buyers. One thing about her approach immediately caught my attention. Instead of simply asking buyers how much they were pre-approved for, Gina asks: What monthly payment are you actually comfortable with? Because being approved for a mortgage and being comfortable making the payment are two very different things. In this episode, we talk about why first-time buyers should not automatically shop at the top of their pre-approval, buyer assistance programs that may help qualifying buyers reduce upfront costs, the clients who received $10,000 in assistance and brought less than $2,000 to closing, affordability and inventory challenges, whether buyers should talk to a Realtor or lender first, and why your first house does not have to be your forever home. Gina closes with a piece of advice every first-time buyer should hear: “Don’t go at it emotionally. Go at it financially.” If you are thinking about buying your first home, wondering whether homeownership is financially realistic, or work with people trying to make that decision, this conversation is for you. Connect with Gina Poslusny at ginaposlusny.com. And if you are already a homeowner and want to understand what comes after the closing table, visit TroyHolt.com.

She is a realtor. Seven years with Keller Williams in South Jersey. A woman who grew up watching her father buy investment properties in West Philadelphia. Someone who has seen both sides of the landlord and tenant relationship firsthand. And right now she is renting. LaTonya Sampson does not hide from that. She talks about it openly. And it makes what she says about homeownership even more powerful because she is not just selling the dream. She is living the process herself, and she knows exactly what it takes to get back on the other side. On this episode of Troy Talks Money LaTonya and Troy go deep on what most people get wrong about buying a home right now. She breaks down why the interest rate conversation is the wrong conversation to be having. She explains house hacking and why a duplex at the same price as a single-family home could cut your housing cost down to seven or eight hundred dollars a month. She talks about why other cultures have been doing multi-generational living for generations and why Black families are being forced back to something that was always the smarter move. She shares what the Real Buying Remax means for the industry. And she walks through how to turn a spare room, a garage apartment, or a group home into income without ever leaving your house. She also said something at the end of our conversation that I want every person listening to write down. Do not give up on the American dream. Buy some dirt. Even some dirt. It does not even have to have a house on it. This conversation is for first-time buyers, current homeowners, people who think the market is too expensive to get into, and anyone who has ever wondered whether homeownership still makes sense in 2025. Connect with LaTonya Sampson:Instagram and Facebook: Homes by LaTonyaTikTok: Realtors Need Love Too Troy Holt is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Navy veteran, and debt elimination specialist. He helps families pay off their mortgage and all debt in five to seven years without refinancing. Visit TroyHolt.com to book a free consultation. No pressure. No pitch. Just a real conversation about where you are and where you want to be.

She had a good job. Good income. A supportive husband who would have covered the bills if she asked. But she could not bring herself to ask. And so she stayed. Stuck in a toxic work environment she desperately wanted to leave but could not afford to exit. That feeling became the foundation of everything she now teaches. Jocelyn Hernandez is a money strategist and founder of BH Career and Coaching. She has navigated 14 career transitions herself. And she helps six-figure professionals get their finances in order before they make a career move so the next step is a choice and not a crisis. On this episode of Troy Talks Money, Jocelyn breaks down what most high earners get wrong about their finances before they leave a job. She explains what golden handcuffs really mean and why a half-million-dollar salary can still leave someone financially paralyzed. She introduces the career transition fund and why it is completely different from an emergency fund. She explains why a thousand-dollar emergency fund is not enough. And she tells you exactly how much she recommends having saved before you make any career move. She also said something at the end that I want every listener to hear. Give your money a job. You would not hire someone to sit on your couch and do nothing. Your money deserves duties and responsibilities too. This conversation is for professionals who feel financially stuck, high earners who have never mapped their money, anyone thinking about leaving a job but afraid they cannot afford to, and anyone who has ever lived paycheck to paycheck on a six-figure income and could not figure out why. Connect with Jocelyn Hernandez:Website: careerandmoneycoaching.comLinkedIn: Search Jocelyn Hernandez Troy Holt is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Navy veteran, and debt elimination specialist. He helps families pay off their mortgage and all debt in five to seven years without refinancing. Visit TroyHolt.com to book a free consultation. No pressure. No pitch. Just a real conversation about where you are and where you want to be.

Most people hear “life insurance” and immediately think about death. But what if we looked at it from another direction? In this episode of Troy Talks Money, I share the story of a father who started planning for his daughter when she was only two years old. His goal wasn’t simply to leave her money one day. He wanted to create financial options throughout her life. College. A first home. Retirement income. Protection. And potentially a legacy for the generation after her. We’ll walk through how a properly designed life insurance strategy was structured to potentially give one dollar several assignments across her lifetime, and why the greatest advantage this little girl has may be something money cannot buy later: time. This episode isn’t about telling every parent to buy an IUL. It’s about asking a bigger question: What financial decisions can I make today that may create more choices for my children tomorrow? If you’d like to explore what a protection and legacy strategy might look like for your family, message me the word LEGACY. No pressure. No product dump. Just a conversation about what you want your money to accomplish and who you want it to help. About Troy HoltTroy Holt is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Navy veteran, and financial educator who helps families make smarter decisions about protection, debt, homeownership, and building a financial legacy. Want to explore what a protection or legacy strategy could look like for your family? Visit TroyHolt.com to schedule a complimentary conversation. No pressure. No product dump. Just a real conversation about what you want your money to accomplish and who you want it to help. Important: This story involves an actual client, but identifying information has been omitted for privacy. Future policy values discussed are based on a current illustration and include non-guaranteed assumptions. Actual results may differ. Policy loans and withdrawals can reduce cash value and death benefits and may have tax consequences.

She was 19. Single mom. Figuring out how to survive. Her brother got a job at a mortgage company and brought her along. She spent the next 13 years as a loan processor, learning how every loan works from the inside out before she ever became a loan officer. That is not a resume detail. That is the reason she can look at a file that other loan officers have already walked away from and find a path to the closing table. Today, Gina Damiani runs Damiani Mortgage out of New Jersey, serving clients across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida. She built her company on one belief. Every client deserves to be treated like family and not like a file number. On this episode of Troy Talks Money, Gina gets real about what most buyers get wrong about the mortgage process. She explains why a pre-approval is not the same as an approval and what happens ten days before closing that most buyers never plan for. She breaks down the two things that will ever stop you from getting a loan and why both of them are easier to fix than most people think. She talks about what it actually looks like behind the scenes when a loan officer is fighting for a file that is about to fall apart. And she shares the one thing she wishes every borrower knew before they ever applied. She also owns two properties she is leaving to her son. Because she has lived out exactly what she tells her clients. Homeownership is not just a place to live. It is the beginning of generational wealth. This conversation is for first-time buyers, veterans, anyone who has ever assumed they could not qualify, and anyone who wants to understand what the mortgage process actually looks like from the inside. Connect with Gina Damiani:Website: DamianiMortgage.comPhone: 856-412-0119Email: [email protected] in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida Troy Holt is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Navy veteran, and debt elimination specialist. He helps families pay off their mortgage and all debt in five to seven years without refinancing. Visit TroyHolt.com to book a free consultation. No pressure. No pitch. Just a real conversation about where you are and where you want to be.

She never set out to be a realtor. She wanted to be an artist. Art was her first language. English was her second. But life had other plans, and six years into real estate in Indianapolis, Indiana, Stacey Brown has built something real one client at a time. On this episode of Troy Talks Money, Stacey gets honest about what the job actually looks like behind the scenes. She talks about the creativity behind negotiation and why contracts are so much more than pushing papers. She shares the money mistake she sees buyers make over and over that kills deals at the last minute. She talks about the deal that almost made her walk away from real estate entirely and what she did instead. And she explains why the renter mindset is one of the most dangerous things a new homeowner can carry into their first year of ownership. She also said something about home insurance versus home warranties that every homeowner needs to hear. Insurance is for things that could happen. A home warranty is for things that will happen. This conversation is for first-time buyers, current homeowners, real estate investors, and anyone who has ever thought that buying a home is the finish line when it is really just the beginning. Connect with Stacey Brown:Instagram: @staceysolditmeformeFacebook: Stacey BrownEmail: [email protected]: 317-732-1001Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro Northeast Troy Holt is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Navy veteran, and debt elimination specialist. He helps families pay off their mortgage and all debt in five to seven years without refinancing. Visit TroyHolt.com to book a free consultation. No pressure. No pitch. Just a real conversation about where you are and where you want to be.

She was a military spouse who had done every job under the sun. GS9 manpower analyst. Air Force marketing office. Burger Barn. You name it. When her husband retired early at 15 years, and they found themselves carrying more debt than they planned for, she made a decision. She got her real estate license, burned the ships, and went all in. Ten years later, Jacqui Luberto has been named the best real estate professional in Destin six years running. Her brokerage, Realty One Group Emerald Coast, has won Best Real Estate Company five years straight. Her property management company has taken home Best Property Management Company four years in a row. And in 2025, her peers named her Broker of the Year by Emerald Coast Real Producers. On this episode of Troy Talks Money, Jacqui gets real about what it actually took to build that track record. She talks about the sphere of influence and why most people misunderstand what it means. She addresses the VA loan myths that are costing military buyers money at the closing table. She explains why interest rates should not be stopping anyone from buying right now. And she shares the mindset shift that changed everything for her and for the agents she coaches. She also built a property management company from scratch that now manages 450 doors, and she did it in a way that most companies in this space are not willing to do. She gave up the listing when owners are ready to sell instead of locking them in. This conversation is for military families, real estate professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone who has ever been told their passion is not practical. Connect with Jacqui Luberto:Website: thinkactlead.comLicensed in Florida and Alabama Troy Holt is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Navy veteran, and debt elimination specialist. He helps families pay off their mortgage and all debt in five to seven years without refinancing. Visit TroyHolt.com to book a free consultation. No pressure. No pitch. Just a real conversation about where you are and where you want to be.

She applied to Navy Federal three times. Got denied three times. Then she showed up to a job fair, sold herself in a last-minute interview, and built a career that took her from collections to teller to mortgage loan officer across multiple states. Today Shantay Mbu is back in her hometown of Pensacola, Florida, running her own growing property management company. And she is doing something most property management companies in this market are not doing. She is offering owners up to 11 months of upfront rent deposited into their account in three to five days as long as a 12-month lease is in place. On this episode of Troy Talks Money we got into what property managers actually do that most owners never know about, why self-managing your rental property could be costing you more than you realize, what it really takes to screen a tenant the right way, how her mortgage loan officer background makes her better at property management than most people in this space, and why getting denied is not the end of anything. This conversation is for real estate investors, homeowners with rental properties, anyone thinking about getting into property management, and anyone who has ever been told no and kept going anyway. Connect with Shantay Mbu:Phone: 850-912-9991Business line: 448-228-7719Website: www.rpmoceanfront.com Troy Holt is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Navy veteran, and debt elimination specialist. He helps families pay off their mortgage and all debt in five to seven years without refinancing. Visit TroyHolt.com to book a free consultation. No pressure. No pitch. Just a real conversation about where you are and where you want to be.

Episode Summary Nina Hart did not plan to be a loan officer. She was 18, looking for a job, and ended up at a mortgage company because she spoke Spanish. That was the beginning of a career that has taken her deep into one of the toughest housing markets in the country. In this episode of Troy Talks Money, Nina breaks down what it really takes to get a mortgage approved, why credit reports break hearts, and what families in today's market actually need to know before they ever walk into an open house. How Nina Hart entered the mortgage industryNina Hart describes her journey starting as a telemarketer at 18, leveraging her Spanish language skills, and advancing to a top loan officer role 00:00:59. Skills learned from telemarketingThe importance of mindset and customer relations: “Always smile first, then dial” 00:01:26. What it takes to become a loan officerPreparation, structuring deals like a “Jenga game,” and the significance of honesty in client disclosures 00:03:38. Understanding debt-to-income (DTI) ratiosSimplified explanation of DTI, real-world vs. textbook lending ratios, and why full financial disclosure is crucial 00:04:39 and 00:05:26. Challenges of the California marketDiscussion around how rising home prices are outpacing incomes and impacting families’ ability to buy or move within the state 00:09:11. COVID’s impact on real estateHow the pandemic affected home buying behaviors, including bidding wars, waived appraisals, and historically low interest rates 00:10:13. Manual vs. Automated UnderwritingThe pros and cons, and how certain debts or credit issues can require manual review 00:06:09. Emotional challenges in lendingThe heartbreak of denying clients due to credit issues, often beyond their control, and the realities of how U.S. credit systems penalize people for “life happens” moments 00:15:12 and 00:16:08. Down Payment Assistance ProgramsDetails about California-specific programs (e.g. CalHFA’s silent second mortgage) and how these can be a lifeline for qualifying buyers 00:24:02. The mortgage qualification processThe logic behind seeing a lender before a realtor, preparing financials, and “payment shock” 00:12:09. Current mortgage industry challengesThe increasing necessity for dual incomes, the risks of cosigning, and why credit discipline is more important than ever 00:28:43. “Always smile first, then dial. They can hear your mood on the phone.” – Nina Hart 00:01:26 “Structuring a mortgage deal is like a Jenga game—miss one piece and it can all fall apart.” – Nina Hart 00:03:38 “A credit report tells you everything from about eight years ago. You can see when ‘life happened.’” – Nina Hart 00:15:12 “We’re supposed to have equal housing opportunities, but we discriminate all the time based on FICO scores.” – Nina Hart 00:18:14 “Fifty-year mortgages aren’t a solution—they’re just to create more wealth for the banks.” – Nina Hart 00:22:19 “Take care of your credit report. Don’t co-sign for anybody, no matter how nice they are.” – Nina Hart 00:29:07 CalHFA – California Housing Finance Agency Down payment assistance and “silent second” mortgages: 00:24:02 Nina Hart on Social Media Facebook, Instagram, TikTok: Search “Nina Hart” for mortgage tips and client stories 00:29:34 TroyHolt.com Book a free consultation with Troy Holt: 00:30:32 Nina Hart: Loan officer, mortgage guide, and social media educator—active on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram (search “Nina Hart”). Troy Holt: Certified financial educator, debt elimination specialist, podcast host. Missed something from the show?Subscribe for new episodes every other week and revisit the episode for more thoughtful insights into mortgages, homebuying, and building real wealth. If you'd like show notes for additional episodes or have a specific focus, let me know!

Black homeownership in America is down 45 percent. And most families who want to buy a home are being stopped by information that is simply not true. RaySean Reaves is a Nashville realtor and president of NAREB Nashville, also my cousin. He joined me on this week's episode of Troy Talks Money to have a real conversation about what is actually keeping Black families out of homeownership and what you can do about it right now. We covered why home prices are rising faster than wages. Why is credit being used as a barrier when it does not have to be? Why the two percent interest rates are never coming back, and why that should not stop you. And why the people on the internet telling you buying a home is a bad investment are the same people collecting your rent check every month. RaySean also shared a story from a deal he closed the same day we recorded. A young woman veteran. VA loan. Zero down. He negotiated forty thousand dollars in concessions on her behalf, and she walked away from the closing table with a check in her hand. This conversation is for every family that has been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the perfect moment. The perfect moment is not coming. The game plan is. Connect with RaySean Reaves:Phone: 615-586-0542Email: [email protected]: raysean.comNAREB Nashville: narabnashville.comInstagram and Facebook: RaySean Grindhard Troy Holt is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Navy veteran, and debt elimination specialist. He helps families pay off their mortgage and all debt in five to seven years without refinancing. Visit TroyHolt.com to book a free consultation.

Most buyers think having a pre-approval means they are ready to buy a home. Rickeshia Odell says not so fast. Rickeshia is a REALTOR with eXp Realty licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin. She has been walking buyers and sellers through one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives for over 12 years. In this conversation she breaks down what most people get wrong before they ever make an offer, why you should call your realtor before your loan officer, what upfront costs most buyers never see coming, and how knowing your why makes the difference between someone who closes and someone who stalls. She also gets into what sellers misunderstand about their own home value, what really happens when a deal falls through, and why her approach has always been about walking with people hand in hand instead of just pushing papers across a table. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, this conversation is for you. Connect with Rickeshia Odell:Phone: 612-839-9509Email: [email protected] Troy Holt is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Navy veteran, and debt elimination specialist. He helps families pay off their mortgage and all debt in five to seven years without refinancing. Visit TroyHolt.com to book a free consultation.

More Than a Rate: What a 20-Year Mortgage Banker Wants You to Know.  Most people think getting a mortgage is simple. Find the lowest rate, sign the papers, and move in. But there's a whole lot more going on behind the scenes, and today's guest has been navigating it for over two decades. Jennifer Ceballos has been a full-time loan officer since 2006. She works with all types of borrowers and specializes in self-employed borrowers, investors, and first-time homebuyers. She is solutions-oriented, well-versed in non-QM loan products, and customer service is at the top of everything she does. In this conversation, we get into why rate shopping can cost you more than you think, what AI actually can and cannot do in the lending world, and why some of the best loan officers out there are part therapist, part financial coach. We also break down loan types most people have never heard of. DSCR loans. Bank statement loans. Fix and flip financing. A 0% interest bridge loan. Asset-based loans. No FICO score loans. If you think you can't qualify, you need to hear this episode before you give up. And if you don't qualify today, Jennifer is going to tell you exactly what to do until you do. Connect with Jennifer:📞 646-210-5287 (call or text) Ready to eliminate your mortgage in 5 to 7 years without refinancing? Visit TroyHolt.com and book your free consultation. No pressure. No pitch. Just a real conversation about where you are and where you want to be. New episodes drop every other week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Timestamps: 00:04 -- Welcome and introduction 01:15 -- How Jennifer got into the mortgage industry 05:13 -- The biggest challenges as a loan officer 06:16 -- Rate shopping and what it really costs you 14:08 -- The 50-year mortgage conversation 18:09 -- Will AI replace loan officers? 21:07 -- How Jennifer serves clients nationwide 23:07 -- DSCR, bank statement, and no-doc loans explained 28:44 -- Fix and flip, bridge loans, and more 33:04 -- Final thoughts and how to reach Jennifer #MortgageTips #HomeLoans #DebtElimination #RealEstate #FinancialEducation #TroyTalksMoney #MortgageBanker #DSCRLoan #FirstTimeHomeBuyer #WealthBuilding

Something changed. And it was time to talk about it. In this episode of Troy Talks Money, I sit down solo and walk you through the story behind the rebrand, where the old show went, what shifted, and exactly where this podcast is going from here. I also break down the three things you can expect from this show going forward: real interviews with homeowners and financial professionals, solo teaching episodes on mortgage strategy and debt elimination, and vault episodes from conversations I recorded under the old brand that were too good to leave on a hard drive. What you will take away from this episode: Why The Financial GPS name means exactly what it saysWhat this show is and who it is built forHow to pay off your mortgage in 5 to 7 years without refinancingConnect with Troy:Website: thetroytalks.comNewsletter: The Financial GPS on SubstackBook a Free GPS Consultation: Book HereInstagram: @Troy_Talks_MoneyTikTok: @TroyHolt67