Mile High Market Talk Clear conversations about home financing — what it means, how it works, and what to do about it. No jargon. No pressure. Just the stuff that actually helps. https://www.mortgagessimplified.com/ en © 2026 Mortgages Simplified 019df012-9a77-7caa-b840-11ba94721d1f no podcast https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/93a1e7d4-ec1b-4a2b-a22c-ad8d975041f5/mile_high_market_talk_cover.png?t=1777849575 Mile High Market Talk https://www.mortgagessimplified.com/ false episodic Neil Christiansen Clear conversations about home financing — what it means, how it works, and what to do about it. No jargon. No pressure. Just the stuff that actually helps.

]]> Neil Christiansen neil@aspiremortgageadvisors.com Wed, 17 Jun 2026 22:26:25 +0000 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 18:11:34 +0000 beehiiv Is a Paid-Off Home Hurting Your Retirement? With Pete Pittman https://www.mortgagessimplified.com/podcast/s/mile_high_market_talk/is_a_paid-off_home_hurting_your_retirement_with_pete_pittman Neil sits down with Denver-based CFP Pete Pittman to tackle a question that generated huge newsletter engagement: is paying off your mortgage actually the smartest financial move? They unpack the emotional versus rational sides of debt elimination, exp... Wed, 17 Jun 2026 22:26:25 +0000 1647 Neil Christiansen false full 2 1 Neil sits down with Denver-based CFP Pete Pittman to tackle a question that generated huge newsletter engagement: is paying off your mortgage actually the smartest financial move? They unpack the emotional versus rational sides of debt elimination, explain why a primary residence is an asset but not an investment, and walk through the real risks of having most of your net worth tied up in illiquid home equity heading into retirement. Listeners come away with a more balanced framework for thinking about mortgage payoff, liquidity, and long-term wealth building.

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GUEST: Pete Pittman

Aspen Leaf Wealth Management

📧 pete@aspenleafllc.com

📱 720.235.8894

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HOST: Neil Christiansen

Aspire Mortgage Advisors | Mortgages Simplified

📞 Book a call: https://zcal.co/neilchristiansen/strategycall

📧 neil@aspiremortgageadvisors.com

🌐 www.mortgagessimplified.com

📬 Subscribe: https://www.mortgagessimplified.com/subscribe

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction & Guest Overview

00:54 Is It Smart to Pay Off Your Mortgage?

02:52 Financial Tunnel Vision vs. Strategic Debt Management

03:56 Rational vs. Reasonable: The Psychology of Money Decisions

05:00 How We're Conditioned About Debt

06:06 The 401(k) Moment: A Generational Shift in Retirement Planning

07:41 Interest Rates Then vs. Now: The 3% Mortgage Advantage

08:30 Why So Much Retiree Net Worth Is Locked in the Home

09:53 Is Your Home an Asset or an Investment?

11:09 The Real Cost of Idle Equity

13:26 What Questions Should Near-Retirees Be Asking?

14:33 Sequence-of-Return Risk and the Liquidity Safety Net

15:45 What Happens When You're Debt-Free but Job-Free?

16:17 The Bucket Approach: Cash, Bonds, Stocks — and Home Equity

17:14 Will People Actually Invest Their Mortgage Savings?

18:30 Making 13 Payments a Year: Does It Help or Hurt?

19:40 What to Expect When You Meet with a Wealth Advisor

20:59 Balance, Curiosity, and Staying Open-Minded

22:30 Client Story: Getting Permission to Be Debt-Free

24:39 Closing Thoughts: Be Curious, Ask More Questions

25:56 How to Reach Pete Pittman

]]> Denver's Super Micro-Market Experiment — with Jackie Weinhold https://www.mortgagessimplified.com/podcast/s/mile_high_market_talk/denver_s_super_micro-market_experiment_with_jackie_weinhold Jackie Weinhold returns to break down why treating the Denver Metro as one market misleads buyers and sellers — neighborhoods just miles apart can behave completely differently, from Arvada homes going under contract in two days with multiple offers to... Thu, 14 May 2026 03:14:10 +0000 1504 Neil Christiansen false full 1 1 Jackie Weinhold returns to break down why treating the Denver Metro as one market misleads buyers and sellers — neighborhoods just miles apart can behave completely differently, from Arvada homes going under contract in two days with multiple offers to Commerce City listings sitting for 45 days. She explains how life circumstances, not interest rates, are driving most moves right now, and why the median home price has held remarkably steady near $600K for three consecutive years despite national headlines suggesting otherwise. The conversation covers how to reset buyer and seller expectations, the outsized role of roofs and insurance in today's inspections, and why hyper-local expertise can be the difference between leaving money on the table and walking away well-positioned.

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GUEST: Jackie Weinhold

West + Main Homes

📧 jackie@westandmainhomes.com

📱 720-556-5349

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HOST: Neil Christiansen

Aspire Mortgage Advisors | Mortgages Simplified

📞 Book a call: https://zcal.co/neilchristiansen/strategycall

📧 neil@aspiremortgageadvisors.com

🌐 www.mortgagessimplified.com

📬 Subscribe: https://www.mortgagessimplified.com/subscribe

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction and guest welcome

01:05 How busy is the spring 2025 market?

01:39 Why rates haven't stopped people from moving

02:05 What 'super micro market' actually means on the ground

03:40 Arvada vs. Commerce City — a tale of two listings

04:14 Buyer experience: 41 homes, 5 offers, outbid repeatedly

05:52 The rising age of first-time home buyers and what it means

07:23 Why Arvada stays hot: walkability, light rail, and community

08:39 Northglenn as a surprise hot market due to affordability

09:54 What is actually driving people to move right now?

10:29 Life buckets: downsizing, upsizing, divorce, jobs, and more

12:00 Historic context on mortgage rates — six percent is normal

13:05 Resetting buyer expectations through reprioritization

14:43 Do most clients come in with realistic expectations?

15:13 Equity concerns for those who bought at peak prices

16:19 How lenders and agents align on managing expectations

17:03 Sellers coming to the table on inspections and repairs

17:53 The roof insurance problem driving renegotiations

18:31 Are sellers more willing to negotiate repairs than last year?

19:32 How the math catches up to overpriced listings

20:17 One thing every Denver buyer and seller gets wrong

21:07 National headlines vs. local reality

22:10 Denver Metro median price holding steady in the $600Ks

23:43 Rising inventory is good news for buyers

24:00 Closing thoughts and how to reach Jackie Winehold

]]> Trailer — Mile High Market Talk is Coming https://www.mortgagessimplified.com/podcast/s/mile_high_market_talk/trailer_mile_high_market_talk_is_coming Mile High Market Talk launches May 13th. Clear conversations about home financing — what it means, how it works, and what to do about it. No jargon. No pressure. Just the stuff that actually helps. Subscribe so you don't miss Episode 1. Get the written... Mon, 04 May 2026 19:24:40 +0000 45 Neil Christiansen false trailer Mile High Market Talk launches May 13th.

Clear conversations about home financing — what it means, how it works, and what to do about it.

No jargon. No pressure. Just the stuff that actually helps.

Subscribe so you don't miss Episode 1.

Get the written version delivered to your inbox every week: https://neils-newsletter-37301c.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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