W.A.I.T. - Why Am I Talking?

And thinking in terms of key life events that repeat over time...

Todd Ballenger
April 25, 2025

❝

Each 1% in home prices translates to roughly
$500B on the household balance sheet.”

Fed’s Reserve Flow of Funds

WAIT - Why Am I Talking?

There’s a story about Tom Hanks, standing in Mister Rogers’ shoes. On set, someone shared a simple acronym: W.A.I.T. — Why Am I Talking?

And just like that, the air shifted.

Not a productivity hack.
Not a performance tip.
A posture. A mindset. A practice.

In a meeting. At dinner. On Zoom. In life.
What if, just before opening your mouth, you asked yourself, “Why am I talking?”
What would change?

Maybe you’d notice how often we fill the air because silence feels like failure.
You are sitting with a client, and you ask, ‘Why do you want to buy a house?’
You are sincere, and they stutter; give them time.

How often do we speak to be seen, not to be useful? Silence informs.
Or how real listening begins the moment the performance stops.

It’s not silence for silence’s sake.
It’s alignment. Its intention.
It’s the generous act of making space for others to figure out their truth.

When we WAIT, we stop performing and start connecting.
And that shift? It changes meetings. Teams. Culture. Relationships.
It builds trust and speeds up progress. Ironically, by slowing us down.

Try it today.
Not as a rule, but as a test.
A tiny pause before the sentence.
A signal that you’re here—not just to speak, but to serve.

I’m amazed at how Silence Serves… again and again.

a BORROW SMART CONCEPT
Stages of Equity Development in Housing

This content originated from the Certified Liability Advisor (CLA) course we developed in partnership with Schwab and Ameriprise. In that program, we trained their advisors to recognize the critical role that housing plays in long-term wealth creation. Although the specifics vary from year to year, one insight remains consistent: most financial advisors had not previously considered housing in this context, just as many lenders fail to see how a home fits into a broader wealth-building strategy.

In today's CLA bi-weekly training/coaching call, we're exploring how to support clients at any stage of the wealth development cycle. Advisors typically base their guidance on life events. Lenders often respond to advice based on interest rates and inventory constraints for clients and referrals that can’t pay cash.

The opportunity? Flip the script. Shift from a reactive posture to a proactive strategy—moving from defense to offense. Frame the conversation around your role as a liability advisor that helps consumers reduce their cost of owning a home over time, while helping them create real wealth.

borrowsmartuniversity.com

In 2025, we’ll see a shift in the other direction, as house values stay flat but absolute asset values are down substantially, with over trillions removed from retirement accounts so far. This could impact how consumers feel about real estate and their capacity to afford housing. We’ll see..

LIABILITIES
What’s Happening?

interesting as consumers are being forced to refinance to higher rates? can’t qualify?

Are you a gluten for punishment - track tariff changes in real time:

Tariff Status - US Tariff Information & Updates

Get the latest information on tariffs affecting the United States. Stay updated with current tariff rates, changes, and impacts on international trade.

www.tariffstatus.com

many countries are reducing debt

We are still increasing in the US, and that spending is being pulled forward to help us now, but it hurts us later if we aren’t able to grow our way out of it with higher productivity.

another reason interest rates need to come down if we are going to service our own debt

and they are not

“Do you want to be right or happy? You can’t be both.”
— Attributed to Marshall B. Rosenberg

REAL ESTATE
What’s Happening?

this could lead to more sales but also lower prices

need lower rates as everyone I speak with is still trapped (high house prices and high rates)

this is my biggest concern and tariffs are the perfect fuel for this to repeat

"Living your best life doesn’t mean having it all—it means honoring what matters most, showing up fully, and choosing courage over comfort every single day."

I asked ChatGPT (based on my profile history) to provide a quote I would like…